One of our favourite summer vegetables is winter melon also known as ash gourd.
Have you cooked with winter melon before? Or have you drank the juice?
In Ayurveda, winter melon is considered to be one of the most healing vegetables. In Sanskrit, it is called Kushmanda which can be translated as “the fruit and seeds do not contain heat”. Which makes it so perfect during the summer month.
This vegetable is available in Australia. Keep your eyes open in your local Asian grocery store.
Winter melon is cultivated throughout Southeast Asia and grows well in Australia during the warm seasons. Winter melon belongs to the gourd family. This group of vegetables provide vitamins, essential minerals, antioxidants and soluble fibres.
Kushmanda has numerous benefits, especially those for balancing Vata and Pitta dosha.
1. Cooling effect on the body
2. It has anti-allergic properties and can be helpful in pitta-induced skin inflammation and allergies.
3. Treatment of the nervous system.
4. Peptic ulcers, burning sensation, acidity
5. Urinary disease, cleanses the bladder
6. Heart disease
7. Gives relief to constipation and helps in bleeding piles
8. Beneficial in fever
9. Useful in asthma and cough
10. Has a calming effect on the mind and is found to be beneficial in slowing Alzheimer’s disease.
Traditional Ayurvedic uses and their Sanskrit terms:
- Weakness (Daurbalya)
- Painful urination (Mootrakrichchra)
- Kidney stones (Ashmari)
- Diabetes (Prameha)
- Bleeding disorder (Raktapitta)
- Fever (Jwara)
- Emaciation (Shosha)
- Thirst (Trishna)
- Giddiness (Bhrama)
- Vomiting (Chard)
- Cough and shortness of breath (Kasa/ Shwasa)
- Pitta disease
- Apasmara/ epilepsy
- Nourishes Tarpana Kapha
Once we know all those amazing therapeutic benefit we can really feel that food is Medicine.
If you would like to learn more about Ayurvedic Nutrition we recommend and initial consultation you are welcome to email info@lakshmiayurveda.com.au.
With Love from the Lakshmi kitchen.
Comment Ash gourd for an ash gourd juice recipe
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