9 reasons to start your day with lauki juice!

What is the first thing you do after waking up? If you have a habit of drinking bed tea or coffee, give it up right now! Kick-start your day with a healthy lauki juice. Be it post workout and detoxification or dealing with UTIs; lauki juice can work wonders for your health.

#1 Acts as an excellent post workout drink

Replace your protein shake with a healthy and natural post workout drink lauki juice. The presence of natural sugars in the vegetable not only restores glycogen levels but also replaces the carbohydrates lost from the body during a workout ⁽¹⁾. This juice also improves the efficiency of the muscles due to its high protein and nutrient content. Here are 7 post workout drinks to boost your weight loss goals!

#2 Helps you deal with UTI

If you are experiencing a burning sensation or pain while urinating, all you need to do is drink a glass of freshly prepared lauki juice every morning. Because, symptoms of urinary tract infection such as burning sensation and pain are caused due to high levels of acid in the urine ⁽²⁾. And as lauki juice is loaded with water and is alkaline in nature, it exerts a cooling effect on the body and acts as powerful diuretic agent, relieving the burning sensation. Have you tried these 7 home remedies to treat UTIs?

#3 Detoxifies your body and exerts a cooling effect

Drinking a glass of lauki juice on an empty stomach makes you feel fresh and energetic. The juice contains 98% water and antioxidants that help in flushing the harmful toxins from the body. This in turn cleanses your body and helps you to start your day with a bang! Also, during the hot summer days, sipping this nutrient-rich juice not only satiates your thirst but also prevents loss of sodium from the body, providing a cooling effect. You may also like to read about ayurvedic detox diet a step-by-step guide to cleanse your body.

#4 Helps you lose weight

Did you know that lauki juice is low in calories and fats, making it an effective drink to lose weight? Also, it is rich in fibre that keeps you full and thus, prevents you from hunger pangs. And being an excellent detoxifying agent and a great post workout drink, lauki juice helps you to achieve your weight loss goals.

#5 Acts as a natural remedy to get rid of suntan

If you don t want summers to ruin your skin or leave a dark patch on your face and back, then try this home remedy to deal with suntan. Loaded with anti-inflammatory properties and high water content, lauki juice acts as a natural bleaching agent to lighten your skin tone. Due to the high water content, it also moisturises the skin. Aashmeen Munjaal, Star Salon n' Spa, Delhi exclaimed that applying lauki juice 3 - 4 times a day helps you to treat suntan at home.

#6 Treats constipation and other digestive problems

If you suffer from constipation or flatulence, ensure you drink a glass of lauki juice once a day (preferably early morning). With 98% water content and high fibre content, lauki juice helps in proper digestion of food. It also contains electrolytes that helps in maintaining electrolyte balance in the body and help your to fight diarrhea.

#7 Helps you to deal with hair loss

If you have tried everything one earth and still haven t found anything to prevent hair loss, then this miracle-like remedy might help you! Known to be loaded with nutrients, lauki juice when applied in combination with sesame oil on the scalp proves to be effective in treating hair loss and even baldness ⁽³⁾. And what s more, in Ayurveda, it is known to prevent premature greying of hair.

#8 Relieves stress and depression

Lauki juice contains the highest amount of choline, a neurotransmitter, than any other vegetable. It is loaded with vitamins, amino acids and minerals that help in the synthesis of neurotransmitters that in turn help in proper functioning of the brain cells and thus, prevent mental disorders like stress and depression⁽³⁾.

#9 Keeps your heart healthy

According to a study published in the Journal of evidence-based complementary & alternative medicine, drinking 200ml of freshly prepared lauki juice on an empty stomach for 90 days lowered blood levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides ⁽⁴⁾. It also showed significant reduction in blood pressure levels and blood sugar levels, factors that increase your risk of heart disease.

How to prepare lauki juice

• Wash lauki and peel the skin. Now, cut it into medium-sized pieces and put it in a blender.
• Don t add water but you can put a pinch of salt and black pepper for taste.
• You can even add a handful of fresh mint leaves (pudina) and blend it.
• If you want you can even add some fresh lemon juice.
• Sieve the juice and drink it early morning every day.

Image Source: Shutterstock

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References:

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2. Li, T. S. (2008). Vegetables and fruits: nutritional and therapeutic values. CRC Press.
3. Rahman, A. H. (2003). Bottle Gourd (Lagenaria siceraria)-a vegetable for good health. Natural product radiance, 2(5), 249-250.
4. Katare C, Saxena S, Agrawal S, Joseph AZ, Subramani SK, Yadav D, Singh N,Bisen PS, Prasad GB. Lipid-lowering and antioxidant functions of bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) extract in human dyslipidemia. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2014 Apr;19(2):112-8. doi: 10.1177/2156587214524229. Epub 2014 Feb 20. PubMed PMID: 24647091.