Too much of anything is bad for our health. Bottle gourd toxicity is a health condition that can lead to poisoning and disturb blood pressure levels in the body. Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family which has nearly 100 genera and over 750 species. While bottle gourd, locally known as 'laukee' or ‘doodhi' is considered to be no less than an antidote containing a powerhouse of nutrients benefitting weight loss, cholesterol and blood sugar reduction. Drinking a bottle gourd juice in the morning on an empty stomach is considered a remedy for diabetes, heart disease, hypertriglyceridemia, constipation, liver diseases, urinary problems, depression, etc. by practitioners of Ayurveda and alternative medicine. 

It can be troubling to one's health as bottle gourd can have some certain compounds in it such as tetracyclic triterpenoid, or cucurbitacin’s, which can induce toxicity if consumed raw. The toxicity can adversely impact digestion and lead to a lot of abdominal discomforts, gastrointestinal issues and other severe symptoms. Symptoms start usually within 30 min of the consumption of the bitter bottle gourd juice and may continue for 2 to 7days.

With vegetable toxicity, which can be a very commonly committed mistake, any problems should be attended to at once, since they can turn serious enough to require hospitalization and intensive care. With bottle gourd toxicity, some of the serious symptoms can include:

If you experience any of these concerning symptoms, seek medical attention at the earliest. It may be easily confused with other illnesses like GI sepsis which have a similar presentation. But if these symptoms start within approximately 30 min after consumption of the bottle gourd or its juice, then it is bottle gourd toxicity.  Increasing public awareness about the dangerous effects of the consumption of bitter bottle gourd will prevent further cases.