Winter melon/Petha - Health benefits, application, chemical constituents, side effects and many more

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Winter melon/Ash gourd/Petha


The wax gourd/winter melon can be stored for many months. Ash gourds of the Indian subcontinent have a white coating with a rough texture (hence the name ash gourd). Southeast Asian varieties have a smooth waxy texture. It is one of the few vegetables available during winter in areas of deciduous vegetation. In India, the wax gourd is recognized for its medicinal properties in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. It also has significance in spiritual traditions of India and Yoga, where it is identified as a great source of prana.

It shows antipyretic, nootropic, antidepressant, anorectic, anxiolytic, antinflammatry, analgesic, diuretic, antioxidant antihistamine, antidiarrheal, angiontensin-converting enzyme inhibition and gastroprotective properties.

            Click here for more information about Antioxidants

It has different names in different languages such as English names(Winter melon, White gourd, Ash gourd),  Marathi name(Kohala),  Hindi name(Petha, Rukasaa, Bhatuvaa),  Tamil name(Pusinikkai),  Telugu name(Boodida Gummadi, Gummadi),  Malayalam name(Kumbalam),  Kannada name(Boodu Kumbala Kai / Kayi),  Bengali name(Kumada),  Parsi name(Vaduba),  Arabian name(Mahadab)





Vitamin and mineral content

It is a popular vegetable crop both for nutritional and medicinal purposes. The nutritional value of winter melon is what makes it so important for human health, as the high concentration of vitamin C and vitamin B2 can have a wide variety of effects on the body. This is in addition to high levels of dietary fiber, zinc, iron, phosphorous, potassium and assorted other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts. 

The major constituents of Benincasa hispida fruits are volatile oils , flavonoids, glycosides, sacchrides, proteins, carotenes, vitamins, minerals, ß-sitosterin and uronic acid 



Properties and benefits

  • Rasa (Taste) – Madhura (sweet)
  • Guna (qualities) – Laghu (light to digest), Snigdha (unctuous, oily)
  • Taste conversion after digestion – Madhura (sweet)
  • Veerya (potency) –Sheetala (cold)
  • Effect on Tridosha – Balances Pitta, Vata
  •         Click here for more information about Tridosha (vata-Kapha-Pitta)
  • Medhya – improves intelligence
  • Mutraghatahara – helps in easy passing of urine
  • Pramehashamanam – useful in diabetes, urinary tract disorders
  • Mutrakruchrahara – Useful in dysuria
  • Ashmarichedana – Useful in urinary calculi. Helps to break into pieces
  • Vinmutra glapanam – helps to increase the bulk of urine and faeces
  • Trushartishamanam – relieves thirst and related pain
  • Jeernangapushtidam – nourishes the worn out body parts. Helps to improve body mass. Helps to gain weight.
  • Vrushyam – Aphrodisiac
  • Arochakahara – relieves anorexia
  • Balya – improves strength and immunity
  • Bruhmana – helps to gain weight, provides nutrition
  • Pittasranut – useful in bleeding disorders due to Pitta imbalance, such as menorrhagia, bleeding per rectum, nasal bleeding etc.
  • Vatanut – balances Vata
  • Bastishuddhikara – cleanses bladder
  • Chetorogahrut – relieves excessive tiredness
  • The unripe winter melon helps to balance Pitta.
  • Mid-ripe winter melon is coolant and increases Kapha.
  • Fully ripe/Old winter melon, is not so coolant, sweet, alkaline, easy to digest and improves digestion strength.
  • Winter melon seed oil has similar effects to those of the fruit



Uses, Benefits and Application

1) In Maharashtra, the ash gourd is known as Kohalaa. Kohala is used to prepare a sweet dish called Kohalyachi Vadee (Burfi), it is also used in preparing Sambhar.

2) In Nepal, it is called Kubhindo, it is cooked as a vegetable when it is young, but the ripe gourds are normally made into preserves or crystallized candy known as "murabba" or "petha".

3) Occasionally, it is used to produce a fruit drink with a distinctive taste. It is usually sweetened with caramelized sugar. In Southeast Asia, the drink is marketed as wax gourd tea or wax gourd punch.

4) In Indian cuisine/cookery it is traditionally used to prepare a wide variety of dishes. In northern India it is used to prepare a candy called petha. In South Indian cuisine. The juice of the raw ash gourd (Maipawl or Khar) is used by the Mizo community and indigenous Assamese ethnicities of North-East India as a natural remedy to treat mild to severe dysentery. 

5) This fruit pieces is either boiled with water or coconut and salt and usually eaten as breakfast or dinner.

6) Ash gourd has been enormously used for the treatment of diverse diseases like diabetes mellitus, diuresis diseases, urinary infection, chronic inflammator.

7) Winter melon is known to be extremely rich in dietary fiber and other essential nutrients which help in digestion. It promotes regular bowel movements and prevents constipation.

8) Consuming winter melon regularly can helps in protecting the kidneys, as it lowers down the blood pressure and the cholesterol levels which are quite beneficial for the heart as well as the kidneys. It efficiently improves the immunity and working of the kidneys. By acting as a diuretic, winter melon immensely helps in detoxifying the body by eliminating the toxic waste through the urine.

9) The fruit is mostly cubed, boiled, and eaten on its own or added to soups and stews. It can also be baked, fried, candied, or simply peeled and added to salads, or eaten raw.

10) The Ash gourd showed significant bio-accessibility of polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. Moreover, the addition of sugar was found to enhance the bioaccessibility of these fractions in both the beverages. These Antioxidants play a protective role in our bodies by fighting free radical compounds that can cause serious harm. 

11) Like most green vegetables, winter melon is considered a yin food in traditional Chinese medicine, which means that it has refreshing properties. It’s known as an alkaline fruit that has a cooling, neutralizing effect within the body.

12) Winter melon seeds can be roasted and eaten just like pumpkin seeds.
           Click here for more information about pumpkin


13) Winter melon provides more than 19% of your daily vitamin C requirements in a single serving , which acts as a best immune booster.
       - Vitamin C can stimulate the production of white blood cells, and can also act as an antioxidant to neutralize free radicals and prevent the mutation of healthy cells. 

14) Just drink one glass of ash gourd juice in the morning and you will see tremendous quantity of coolness in the body.

15) Consumption of ash gourd brings an enormous amount of energy, at the same time it keeps you really calm. If you drink coffee, it gives you energy with agitation. If you drink a glass of ash gourd, it gives you enormous amount of energy along with calmness.

16) In Hindu custom, during festivals or inauguration of office, Pooja of vehicles etc, it is a common practice to break ash gourd in front of office or vehicle. It is a symbolic sacrifice to avoid bad incidents in future.

17) Ash gourd can be used for weight gain. It can be used by preparing sabji or Sambhar. It can also be made as halva.




Side effects 

1) As It increases Kapha, it is not ideal to use in winter and whenever someone has cold, asthma or bronchitis condition.

2) If it is sweet, it is not ideal during indigestion

3) People suffering from obesity should consume winter melon in minimal doses.



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References

1) J. Pharm. Sci. & Res. Vol. 11(4), 2019, 1455-1457

2) 2nd International e-Conference on  “Emerging Innovation and Advancement in Biological Science, Human Welfare and Agriculture Research in Current Era” Date: 25th to 27th of July, 2020 

3) Indian J Pharmacol. 2008 Nov-Dec; 40(6): 271–275. PMCID: PMC3025145

4) Bhavaprakasha Nighantu

5) J Food Sci Technol. 2019 Jan; 56(1): 473–482.   Published online 2018 Dec 1.   PMCID: PMC6342787

6) J Tradit Complement Med. 2017 Oct; 7(4): 526–531.  Published online 2017 Feb 15.    PMCID: PMC5634755

7) Pharmacogn Mag. 2014 Apr-Jun; 10(Suppl 2): S207–S213.    PMCID: PMC4078339

8) Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization

9) NCBI

10) PUBMED

11) Bhojana Kutuhalam

12) Charaka Samhita



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