Sunday, 18 May 2014

10 health benefit of eating ugwu vegetable (fluted pumpkin)

Health Benefit of Pumpkin Leaves (UGU/UGWU)


Most of us just eat and drink in order to satisfy our hunger and thirst, we refuse to look into the health benefit we derive from our food and drinks. This is the reason I normally try to post about what we
benefit from eating certain foods. Today we are going to know about what we benefit from eating UGWU (fluted pumpkin).

Ugwu leaf is a vegetable is used a lot in Nigeria to cook soups. The scientific name is Telfairia occidentalis leaf. It is a tropical vine grown in west africa as a leaf vegetable and for its edible seeds. Common names for the plant include Fluted gourd, Fluted pumpkin, and Ugwu . Telfairia occidentalis is an important staple vegetable grown in Nigeria. The plant produces luxuriant edible green leaves, which are rich in iron and vitamins. Stems of the plants have branching, long twisting tendrils and the leaves are divided into three to five leaflets with the terminal leaflets up to 15 cm long, while the male plant is grown principally for leaves and seeds, which are important soup condition. Harvesting of fluted pumpkin takes place 120-150 days after sowing.

Benefit of ugwu:

1. PREVENT CONVULSION: The young leaves sliced and mixed with coconut water and salt are stored in a bottle and used for the treatment of convulsion in ethno medicine.

2. LOWER CHOLESTEROL : Telfairia occidentalis leaves has hypolipdemic effect and may be a useful therapy in hypercholestolemia.

3. BOOST FERTILITY: A particular study showed that Telfairia occidentalis has the potential to regenerate testicular damage and also increase spermatogenesis.

4. PREVENTS LIVER DAMAGE: It has a liver protecting effects.

5. It has antibacterial effects

6. BLOOD FORMING EFFECT; The leaves are rich in iron and play a key role in the cure of anaemia, (mix the leaf extract with milk)

7. they are also noted for lactating properties and are in high demand for nursing mothers.

8. GOOD FOR DIABETICS : It has an hypoglycaemic (sugar reducing) effect. It is good for diabetics

9. Increases Blood Volume and Boost Immune System

10. The high protein content in leaves of plants such as Telfairia occidentalis could have supplementary effect for the daily protein requirement of the body.

The CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS of ugwu(telfairia occidentalis leaf consist of rich minerals (such as iron, potassium, sodium, phosphorus,calcium and magnesium), antioxidants, vitamins (such as thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinamide and ascorbic acid), phyto-chemicals (such as phenols), essential oils and also very rich in amino acid which include alanine, aspartate, glycine, glutamine, histidine, lysine, methionine, tryptophan, cystine, leucine,arginine etc.




Reference: www.busamcare.com

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