10 Common vegetables and their health benefits

BOTTLE GOURD: Indian name : LAUKI Scientific name: Lagenaria siceraria
These are also called white-flowered gourd or calabash gourd, running or climbing vine of the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae.
It is native to tropical Africa but cultivated in warm climates around the world for its ornamental and useful hard-shelled fruits.
The young fruits are edible and are usually cooked as a vegetable.

Nutritional Value:
This vegetable is very low in saturated fats and cholesterol and is rich in water and nutrients required for weight loss. It contains essential nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Iron, Folate, Magnesium, and Potassium.

Health Benefits:
Reduces stress
Benefits the Heart
Helps in weight loss
Works as a Natural relaxant
Maintains Healthy hair
Helps in digestion
Maintains healthy skin

RIDGED GOURD:Indian name : TURAI Scientific name: Luffa acutangula
Ridge Gourds are long vegetables with a ridged dark green skin and white spongy flesh that contains numerous seeds inside.
They are rich in fiber and very prominent in Indian cooking.
Ridge gourd comes in two variants – one with smooth surface another with ridged surface.

Nutritional Value:
Ridge gourds are rich in a vast array of essential components like dietary fibers, water content, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, magnesium and vitamin B6. They are naturally low in calorie content, unhealthy saturated fats and cholesterol. Furthermore, they abound in potent antioxidants and alkaloid compounds.

Health Benefits:
Enhances Vision
Remedies Anemia
Promotes Weight Loss
Relieves Constipation
Protects Liver Function

Indian name : KARELA Scientific name: Momordica charantia
The fruit has a distinct warty exterior and an oblong shape.
It is hollow in cross-section, with a relatively thin layer of flesh surrounding a central seed cavity filled with large, flat seeds and pith.
The fruit is most often eaten green, or as it is beginning to turn yellow.
At this stage, the fruit’s flesh is crunchy and watery in texture, similar to cucumber, chayote or green bell pepper, but bitter.
The skin is tender and edible. Seeds and pith appear white in unripe fruits; they are not intensely bitter and are edible too.

Nutritional Value:
Bitter melon or Bitter Gourd is a great source of several key nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Folate, Potassium, Zinc, Iron. Bitter Gourd is an excellent source of anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antiparasitic properties.

Health Benefits:
Controls Diabetes
Blood Purifier
Boosts Immunity
Improves Respiratory Health
Hemorrhoid Relief
Promotes Skin Health

SNAKE GOURD:Indian name : PADWAL Scientific name: Trichosanthes cucumerina
This is a tropical or subtropical vine. It is raised for its strikingly long fruit.
In Asia, it is eaten immature as a vegetable much like the summer squash and in Africa
The reddish pulp of mature snake gourd is used as an economical substitute for tomato.

Nutritional Value:
 Like most flora of the gourd family, the snake gourd vegetables, seeds, leaves and juice extracts are enriched with a multitude of crucial fundamental dietary components like carbohydrates, fats, proteins and fibers, vital trace compounds such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C and Vitamin E and minerals namely Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Iodine and a host of plant substances including phenolics and cucurbitacins.

Health Benefits:
Accelerates Weight Loss
Augments Heart Function
Detoxifies The Kidneys
Enhances Digestive System
Strengthens Respiratory Processes
Remedies Hypertension
Cures Diarrhea
Manages Diabetes Symptoms
Naturally Moisturizes Skin
Combats Skin Infections
Promotes Hair Growth
Tackles Excessive Dandruff

LADIES FINGER/OKRA:Indian name : BHINDI Scientific name: Abelmoschus esculentus
The plant is cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world.
It is valued for its edible green seed pods.
It has a long finger like shape and its cross section cut shows white seeds spread inside the vegetable.
One of the peculiar properties of this vegetable is its internal stickiness. 

Nutritional Value:
Bhindi is a rich source of Protein, Fibre, folic acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6
(pyridoxine), Vitamin B3(Niacin), Vitamin B1(Thiamine), Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphorous, Sodium, Potassium, Zinc, Iron.

Health Benefits:
Fights Free radicals
Supports Heart and Brain Health
Controls Blood Sugar
Provides Prenatal Support
Helps in production of RBC
Maintains good vision
Maintains healthy Skin
Aids weight loss
Relieves Constipation
Reduces the risk of Colon cancer

ELEPHANT YAM/ELEPHANT FOOT:Indian name : SURAN Scientific name: Amorphophallus campanulatus
Suran, Jimikand or Elephant foot yam is a tuber or corm which is cultivated across India and used commonly as a vegetable.
Elephant Yam has a hard and stony look with a bulbiferous dark brown colour.
This vegetable might not look very appealing but it full of health benefits.

Nutritional Value:
Bhindi is a rich source of Protein, Fibre, folic acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6
(pyridoxine), Vitamin B3(Niacin), Vitamin B1(Thiamine), Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphorous, Sodium, Potassium, Zinc, Iron.

Health Benefits:
Fights Free radicals
Supports Heart and Brain Health
Controls Blood Sugar
Provides Prenatal Support
Helps in production of RBC
Maintains good vision
Maintains healthy Skin
Aids weight loss
Relieves Constipation
Reduces the risk of Colon cancer

COLOCASIA:Indian name : TARO Scientific name: Colocasia esculenta
Colocasia is a tropical plant grown primarily for its edible corms, a root vegetable most commonly known as taro.
These are the widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles.
Taro is believed to be one of the earliest cultivated plants.

Nutritional Value:
Taro is packed with a lot of nutrients such as fiber, Manganese, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, Potassium, Copper, Vitamin C, Phosphorus, Magnesium.

Health Benefits:
Maintains a healthy heart
Maintains healthy blood sugar levels
Reduces the risk of cancer
Aids weight loss
Helps maintain healthy Gut

Coccinia : Indian name : TINDORA Scientific name: Coccinia grandis
Coccinia is a tropical vine that grows primarily in tropical climates and is commonly found in the southern Indian states, where it forms a part of the local cuisine.
Coccinia grandis is grown for its edible young shoots and edible fruits.
This ovoid to ellipsoid berry shaped vegetable is in fact a storeroom of several health promoting Nutrients, vitamins and Minerals.

Nutritional Value:
Ivy Gourd contains Protein, healthy fat, dietary fibre, calcium, iron, potassium, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin C.

Health Benefits:
Aids Weight Loss
Relieves Digestive problems
Good for diabetics
Relieves respiratory diseases
Reduces the risk of cancer
Treats UTIs

DRUMSTICKS:Indian name : MORINGA Scientific name: Moringa oleifera
It is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree of the family Moringaceae, native to the Indian subcontinent.
Cultivated in many parts across India, drumstick is widely known to be therapeutic with a very high nutrition content.
It is widely cultivated for its young seed pods and leaves, used as vegetables and for traditional herbal medicine.
The drumstick tree, seeds, pods, leaves and flowers all have medicinal properties.
While Moringa has been proclaimed as one the most recent superfoods, the fact is that this vegetable has been used in Indian cooking, especially in South Indian dishes for centuries.

Nutritional Value:
Moringa is storehouse of essential nutrients such as protein, healthy fat, dietary fibre, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, VitaminB2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B9, Vitamin C, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Manganese, Phosphorous, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc

Health Benefits:
Helps improve digestive and gut health
Great for developing stronger bones
Helps purifying blood- Relieves respiratory disorders
Benefits Prenatal health And Lactation
Enhances Skin Health
Drumstick For Improving Sperm Count And Vitality
Boosts immunity
Regulates Hypertension
Kidney Health
Lowers The Risk Of Cancer
Improves Liver Health
Cures Edema
Fights Infection
Regulates Diabetes
Promotes Good Vision

ASH GOURD:Indian name : PETHA Scientific name: Benincasa hispida
Ash gourd goes by several vernacular names such as “Petha” in Hindi, “Boodida Gummadi” in Telugu, “Neer Pooshnikkai” in Tamil and “Kumbalam” in Malayalam.
This vegetable when immature has white thick flesh which is sweet.
By the time it reaches maturity, it loses the hairs and a waxy coating is developed which provides a long shelf life.

Nutritional Value:
Like most flora of the gourd family, the ash gourd vegetables, seeds, leaves and juice extracts are enriched with a multitude of crucial fundamental dietary components like carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fibers, vitamins such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B6,Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorous, manganese, iodine. It is also a host of plant substances including phenolics and cucurbitacins.

Health Benefits:
Battles Fevers
Fights Jaundice
Remedies Heart Ailments
Treats Alopecia
Recovers Joint Illnesses
Uplifts Immunity
Regulates Thyroid
Alleviates Insomnia
Uplifts Kidney Functions
Effectively Remedies Acidity
Significantly Enhances Metabolism Naturally Moisturizes Skin
Combats Skin Infections
Promotes Hair Growth
Tackles Excessive Dandruff
Accelerates Weight Loss
Augments Heart Function
Detoxifies The Kidneys
Enhances Digestive System
Strengthens Respiratory Processes