Ivy gourd: tiny vegetable with large benefits

Ivy gourd has been used as a traditional medicine by Southeast Asians over centuries. In fact, in India, leaves and roots of this plant have been used to treat chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Ivy gourd, also known, as baby watermelon is a perennial creeper seen in the tropical countries like India, Indonesia, Malaysia , Philippines and Thailand.  It belongs to the family of cucerbitaceae and its scientific names are Coccinia grandis, Coccinic cordifolia and Coccinia indica.

• The roots of the plant may help reduce weight by preventing multiplication of fat cells thereby preventing weight gain
• Recent research has shown that the plant might be used in the future as herbal medicine for the treatment of diabetic patients as it reduces the metabolic complications under diabetic condition such as high urea levels
• Ivy gourd contains an anti-hyperlipidemic element
• Extracts of this plant produce analgesic (pain killer) effect comparable to that of  morphine

These are some of the documented published findings about ivy gourd. But, there are many more benefits of this plant that have been experienced in practical life but remain to be documented.

There are many reasons to add this wonderful vegetable to your daily diet.

References :

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4064515/

http://easyayurveda.com/2016/09/19/ivy-gourd-benefits-ayurveda-usage-remedies-research-side-effects/

Author: drpoojachhawcharia

Dr Pooja Chhawcharia is the Senior Nutritionist at eKincare with over 7 years of experience in Nutrition education, diet counseling and research. She is a Registered Dietician with the Indian Dietetic Association and Certified Diabetes Educator recognized by the International Diabetes federation . She is also interested in ancillary sciences such as Yoga and Naturopathy. View all posts by drpoojachhawcharia