The Baba Ramdev effect? Lauki juice catches on as new health mantra

Remember that long green vegetable that children dont take a liking to? Known by different names like lauki,ghiya and doodhi,the bottle gourd is suddenly finding fame with its juice being sold at many fruit juice stalls,especially those around Parliament Street.

Remember that long green vegetable that children dont take a liking to? Known by different names like lauki,ghiya and doodhi,the bottle gourd is suddenly finding fame with its juice being sold at many fruit juice stalls,especially those around Parliament Street.

The reason? One might call it the Baba Ramdev effect. When he advised people to drink lauki juice,many started asking for it,which eventually led to its inclusion in the menu at juice shops.

Although Ayurveda talks about the positives of lauki juice,many were ignorant about its advantages until Baba Ramdev appeared on the TV listing its benefits.

Apart from aiding digestion and preventing acidity,lauki juice helps in urinary disorders,diabetes and excessive sodium loss from the body. Overall,it is a healthy daily tonic.

We have been selling ghiya juice for two years now. Ever since people started watching Baba Ramdev on TV,they started asking for it, Jai Gupta,who runs a juice shop opposite Dak Bhawan,said.

And it seems with time its popularity is only growing. This year,we have sold more ghiya juice than last year. Now many people ask for it, Rajinder Gupta,a juice vendor,said.

Satya Prakash Gupta,another juice shop owner,feels that health conscious people and sugar patients go for lauki juice. Ten to 12 customers ask for it daily. It is good that people are getting health conscious, he said.

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But the juice sells more in the winters when it is mixed with tomato and carrot juice. Therefore,a few juice shops stop selling it in the summers.

But there are others who continue. It definitely sells better in the winters as people go for vegetable juices. During the summers,its demand goes down a bit but people still ask for it, Darshan Lal,who owns a juice stall opposite the Parliament Street police station,said.

And what about the price? We sell it at the same rate as fruit juices, Lal said.

Sukalp Sharma

Sukalp Sharma is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 13 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More

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The Baba Ramdev effect? Lauki juice catches on as new health mantra

Remember that long green vegetable that children dont take a liking to? Known by different names like lauki,ghiya and doodhi,the bottle gourd is suddenly finding fame with its juice being sold at many fruit juice stalls,especially those around Parliament Street.

Remember that long green vegetable that children dont take a liking to? Known by different names like lauki,ghiya and doodhi,the bottle gourd is suddenly finding fame with its juice being sold at many fruit juice stalls,especially those around Parliament Street.