10 Astounding Health Benefits of Ash Gourd / Winter Melon

Taste and Appearance of Ash Gourd 

Ash gourds have a white ash coating on them and a dusty cover which is why it is termed ‘Ash’ gourd. The unripe ash gourd vegetable is covered with fine hair. This hair falls later when the vegetable is ripe and ready to consume. Available in varied shapes and sizes, the flavor of ash gourd is slightly mellow. Ash gourd can easily be used as salads, juices, and smoothies to relish during a hot sunny day. If you consume it during winter, you can use honey or black pepper to enhance its taste.

Nutritional Value of Ash Gourd

As already discussed, winter melon is nutrient-rich, loaded with minerals and vitamins. Even the sodium and saturated fat content in winter melon is considerably low. The table below shows the nutrient content in 100g of winter melon:

Water	96.1 g
Energy	13 Kcal
Carbohydrates	3 g
Protein	0.4 g
Fibre	2.9 g
Calcium	19 mg
Vitamin C	13 mg
Magnesium	10 mg
Vitamin B2	1.3 mg

Health Benefits of Ash gourd/Winter Melon

• Ash gourd helps manage type 2 diabetes as it is low in calories. Using winter melon in your diet regularly can help people with diabetes in lowering their sugar levels
• The presence of vitamin C and zinc in winter melon helps in the production of white blood cells, which boosts your immune system
• Including ash gourd in your diet regularly promotes heart health, especially if consumed in the boiled form. With negligible cholesterol and high fiber, ash gourd helps avert peptic ulcers by removing free radicals and reducing the acidity level of your stomach
• Being water-rich, winter melon cools the body to balance organs like the kidneys and liver. It, thus, helps detoxify the organs and enables smooth bladder movements
• Eating winter melon lowers the risk of getting eye diseases and night blindness
• Winter melon has high vitamin B2 content, which enhances body metabolism and increases energy
• Ash gourd has a high iron content that improves blood circulation and cognitive function
• Ash gourd further accelerates weight loss because of its high fiber content, while the antioxidants and vitamin C present in ash gourd enhance skin and hair health

How to Eat Winter Melons?

Winter melon can be included in your meal in different ways using ingredients that are highly seasoned to make the cuisine appetizing. Here are some ash gourd recipes that you can try:

Recipe 1 – Ash gourd juice

Ingredients required:

• Ash gourd (cut into small cubes)
• Lemon juice (6 tsp)
• Black pepper powder (3 tsp)
• Salt (3 tsp)

How to make ash gourd juice:

• Remove the skin and seeds of the vegetable and cut into small cubes
• Makes a puree by blending the cubes and strain it
• Add the other ingredients – salt, black pepper, and juice of lemon
• Relish the drink

Ash gourd juice benefits

There are many benefits of ash gourd juice on an empty stomach. As per Ayurveda, safed petha juice benefits many diseases if consumed regularly on an empty stomach. It is said to be helpful in peptic ulcers. However, one should avoid consuming food for at least two-three hours after having the juice.   

Recipe 2 – Ash gourd raita 

• Grate the vegetable and add plain yogurt to it
• Season it with salt, black pepper, and some roasted cumin seeds
• Have it with lunch (rice, dal, and sabzi)

Recipe 3 – Ash gourd smoothie

Use ash gourd and watermelon to make a savoring smoothie.

How to prepare:

Combine watermelon and ash gourd (in a blender in equal portions). Add yogurt or plain water to it. Add honey as per taste and relish.

Side effects of Ash gourd/winter melon

• Ayurveda advises people to avoid winter melon if they have a cold or fever. The vegetable is said to have a cold aggravating effect and can make your cold worse
• Excessive eating of winter melon might cause digestive discomfort and might cause pain in the stomach
• People with bronchitis and asthma should also refrain from consuming an excess of winter melon/ash gourd
• When buying ash gourd, always pick fresh ones from a local market since the ash gourd purchased from an old stock can have pathogenic agents