Indian Summer Vegetables - Benefits of the Gourds and Green Leafy Vegetables

Indian Summer Vegetables - Benefits of the Gourds and Green Leafy Vegetables
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If you have ever experienced a typical Indian summer, you would know the importance of eating foods that can help you fight the hot and humid weather during this time of the year. There are some vegetables that can help you do just that. These usually have a soft skin, are fleshy, and are filled with moisture. They have all the prefect ingredients that can help you not only fight the hot weather but also provide you with some wonderful health benefits. Here is a brief look at the health benefits of the gourds and green leafy vegetables, the best summer veggies.

Bottle Gourd

Considered to be a bland and tasteless vegetable, the bottle gourd has many health benefits. This vegetable which is popularly known in India as Lauki or Ghia, is very easy to digest and has cooling and calming properties. It is packed with iron and Vitamins B and C. The cooked vegetable is very beneficial for diabetics, people with digestive disorders, and for those who are trying to lose weight. Bottle gourd juice is very effective in the treatment of stomach acidity, ulcers, and indigestion. It is also great in summer for quenching your thirst, preventing fatigue, and keeping you refreshed throughout the day.

Bitter Gourd

Well, the bitter gourd is, as the name suggests, bitter. But this Indian summer vegetable, known as karela, has amazing health and medicinal benefits. It is an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, and B3, C, magnesium, folic acid, zinc, phosphorus, and manganese. It is also high in dietary fiber. It is very effective in treating blood disorders. It is also used to treat piles, psoriasis, respiratory disorders, and toxemia. It builds your resistance to diseases and is also wonderful for controlling hypertension. Also known as the bitter melon, it has compounds which are found to have a hypoglycemic effect, and is, therefore, good for diabetes. Steamed and lightly tossed with minimal spices is the best way to eat the very nutritious Momordica charantia.

Ash Gourd

Winter melon is wonderful for the summers

Ash gourd is popularly known as petha in India. The vegetable is also known as winter melon and Chinese squash. It is usually known for the very popular Indian sweet which is made from this vegetable. The ripe variety of this vegetable is used to make this sweetmeat and the unripe variety is cooked. It contains a large amount of moisture, and contains thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C and minerals such as calcium, iron, and phosphorus. It acts as a blood coagulant and has diuretic properties. The sweet made from this vegetable is very effective in anemia and for increasing weight.

Amaranth Greens

An Indian summer cannot be complete without the mention of the choulai or the amaranth greens. Since it is a green leafy vegetable, it has many beneficial and nutritious compounds. Vitamins A, B6, C, riboflavin, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, potassium, and manganese can all be found in this very nutritious Indian summer vegetable. It is very valuable in treating respiratory disorders and very beneficial during pregnancy and lactation. Just make sure that you wash it properly with plenty of water, before you cook it.

A Few Other Indian Summer Vegetables

If you think these are the only beneficial summer veggies, think again. This list also includes Coccinia Indica or Kundru, baby squash or tinda, ridged gourd or tori, snake gourd or chichinda, and pumpkin or kaddu. All these vegetables are perfect for consumption during the summer months as they are cooling, easy to digest, and provide the much needed nutrients to combat the hot and humid weather. So, make sure to enjoy the nutritional and health benefits of the gourds and the green leafy vegetables this summer.

References

Ayurveda For You: Bottle Gourd, https://ayurveda-foryou.com/ayurveda_herb/bottle_gourd.html

Juicing For Health: Bitter Melon (Bitter Gourd), https://www.juicing-for-health.com/bitter-gourd-benefits.html

Healing Food Reference: Amaranth leaf, https://www.healingfoodreference.com/amaranth_leaf.html

Image Credits:

Wikimedia Commons: Momordica charantia

Wikimedia Commons: Winter Melon