Bottle gourd adulteration: 4 ways to check purity at home
Lauki has been a trusted summer staple for generations, and it's easy to see why. With its high water content and mild taste, bottle gourd cools the body, supports liver health, and is incredibly soothing. Whether in soups, curries, or even desserts, it's a multitasker that fits right into summer meals.
Each day, we receive new notifications on our news apps, reporting that FSSAI raids have uncovered another scandal, busting a new adulterated vegetable racket. Over the years, the demand for vegetables has seen a spike in urban areas, but vendors and suppliers have been unable to meet it.
When they cannot meet the demand, they adulterate fruits and vegetables. Adulterated fruits and vegetables are easy and cost-effective to produce, allowing vendors to earn high profits.
One of the most adulterated foods on the market is bottle gourd. Bottle gourd is a staple in the diet of millions of Indians. According to the
Research Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics
, bottle gourd has multiple health benefits and is considered one of the healthiest vegetables.
This one's the quiet hero of many Indian kitchens. Lauki is like that friend who's always low-key supportive — full of water, easy on the stomach, and light enough to not leave you bloated. Whether in a sabzi, soup, or juice, it helps flush out toxins and keeps digestion smooth and breezy.
Here are some benefits of eating bottle gourd:
Rich in dietary fiber (both soluble and insoluble), it helps prevent constipation, flatulence, and even piles. It is also easy to digest.
The vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber in lauki keep the body well-nourished and curb unnecessary appetite, especially if you drink its juice in the morning on an empty stomach, which helps promote weight loss.
It contains sodium, potassium, essential minerals, and trace elements, which regulate blood pressure and prevent the risk of heart ailments such as hypertension.
4. Bottle gourd is approximately 96% water and is, therefore, a great thirst quencher. It also prevents fatigue and keeps the body cool and refreshed during summers. 5. Bottle gourd is also rich in vitamins B and C and aids in anti-oxidative actions.
It is a suitable vegetable for light, low-calorie diets, as well as for children, people with digestive problems, diabetics, and those recovering from an illness or injury. 7. It is used by Ayurveda physicians for balancing liver function when the liver is inflamed and unable to process food efficiently for nutrition and assimilation.
To help identify adulterated bottle gourd, the government has introduced the "
Detect Adulteration with Rapid Test (DART)"
book, which outlines methods to find adulterated produce.
Here's how to identify adulterated bottle gourd:
Texture
An adulterated bottle gourd should be steered clear of if it has scrapes, bruising, soft patches, or is abnormally bright green or yellow, which often indicates chemical ripening. In contrast, an unadulterated bottle gourd is substantial in size and has a firm texture.
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Scent
An unadulterated bottle gourd has an earthy and gentle aroma. On the other hand, an adulterated bottle gourd has a strong and strange chemical smell.
Bottle gourd may not sound glamorous, but it's a low-cal, high-water veggie that's perfect for weight loss. It's gentle on digestion, helps flush out toxins, and keeps your stomach feeling light. Blend it into a juice, cook it with dal, or stuff it — it's more versatile than it gets credit for.
Taste
An adulterated bottle gourd tastes bitter. If it tastes bitter, discard it immediately to avoid cucurbitacin poisoning. A fresh bottle gourd should have a watery and neutral taste.
Visual Inspection
To make bottle gourd appear greener, some vendors use malachite, a textile dye. To find out if malachite has been used, take a cotton piece, soak it in water, and then rub it on the bottle gourd. If the cotton turns green, this means the bottle gourd is adulterated.
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