Lauki juice benefits: The ancient detox drink Acharya Balkrishna wants you to try

Acharya Balkrishna, co-founder of Patanjali Ayurved and one of India’s leading Ayurveda experts, recently shared a video on Facebook highlighting the health benefits of lauki, or bottle gourd. In the video, he described lauki juice as a cooling, light, and natural drink that can support body detoxification and digestive balance. He also called it a simple and natural foundation for a healthy lifestyle when consumed in regular and balanced quantities.

Balkrishna’s post comes at a time when interest in traditional plant-based remedies is growing across India and beyond.

Advertisement

What Ayurveda says about Lauki

In Ayurveda, lauki juice is valued for its cooling and pitta-balancing properties, and is believed to reduce body heat and acidity. It is traditionally used to support digestion, urinary health, mild hypertension, stress relief, and gentle detoxification.

Ayurvedic principles hold that summer is governed by the pitta dosha, or the fire element, and that excessive heat can lead to imbalance, showing up as irritability, inflammation, or indigestion. Lauki juice, according to Ayurvedic tradition, helps address exactly these concerns.

Also Read: Everyone brushes. Almost nobody has truly healthy teeth. Here is why.

How much to drink and when

Safe daily amount is 100 to 200 ml of fresh lauki juice preferably in the morning on empty stomach as part of balanced diet. The key word here is balance. Acharya Balkrishna also emphasised this point, stating that regular and moderate consumption is what keeps the body light and energetic.

An important warning

This is one caution that cannot be ignored. When lauki juice turns bitter, it can prove poisonous. Bottle gourd belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and contains toxic compounds called cucurbitacins. They are responsible for bitter taste and toxicity. There is no specific antidote for this toxicity, and doctors treat cases only with supportive care.

An ICMR expert committee looked into this issue and found that three deaths were reported in India following consumption of extremely bitter bottle gourd juice. Twenty-six persons were admitted to hospitals. They had complaints of abdominal pain, vomiting, and gastrointestinal bleeding after drinking freshly prepared lauki juice.

Always taste a small piece of bottle gourd before juicing it. If the vegetable tastes bitter, discard it completely. Cooking or boiling the bitter gourd does not remove the harmful compounds.