Safed petha, or also commonly known as ash gourd, wax gourd, white pumpkin or winter melon is quickly becoming a popular summer vegetable. People are starting to catch wind of the benefits of this vegetable and are becoming very curious to know about its benefits and usage. Ash gourd is an age-old ingredient in many Ayurvedic medicines.
The vegetable is named ash or wax because of its white colour. Its taste is often described as similar to cucumber and is not bitter at all. You can easily include this in your everyday diet and even feed it to your children.
While fashion designer and actor Masaba Gupta had highlighted the benefits of safed petha juice on her Instagram earlier this year, Health Shots reached out to nutrition expert Kavita Devgan to know about this vegetable and how its juice can do wonders for our health.
Benefits of safed petha or ash gourd juice:
1. Cools the body
Safed petha and its juice have cooling effects on our body and are great to have in summer. Devgan says, “Ash gourd is a summer vegetable best available during hot months. Have it only when it is in season and avoid it during peak winters. It might not suit some people if they have it on an empty stomach as it is extremely cooling. So, observe the effects on your body.”
2. It is detoxing
This vegetable is very low in calories but high in nutrients. As much as 96 percent of this fruit has water content and hence, makes its juice great for detoxifying and promoting weight loss. It also has high fiber content which helps deal with problems like piles.
3. Helps fight anemia
Safed petha is a rich source of iron and hence, its consumption increases the blood circulation in our body. This also increases the making of red blood cells which fights problems like anemia.
4. Good for acidity
Ash gourd can help you achieve the goal of having an alkaline body. Having its juice or in any other way will reduce the production of acid in your body. If you are someone who suffers from acidity frequently then safed petha will be a life saviour for you!
5. Gets rid of water retention
Safed petha is diuretic, because of its high water content, which means that it increases the production of urine in our body. This helps our body to flush out the excess water and sodium (salt) from our body. It is great for someone who is suffering from swollen feet or hands.
Safed petha is a very versatile vegetable that can be had in many ways. You can eat it raw or make a raita out of it but the most popular and easy way is to squeeze out its juice. Having it on an empty stomach will energize you for the whole day.
Here’s how to make safed petha juice:
1. Peel safed petha and de-seed it. Cut it into small pieces and put it in a juicer or a blender.
2. Blend until you get a smooth puree and don’t add any water.
3. Next, you need to strain the puree through a muslin cloth and squeeze it well to get the juice.
4. You can have it plain, add coconut juice instead of sugar or add some salt and lemon juice.