Bottle gourd. Photo: Pixabay
A doctor in Christchurch is cautioning New Zealanders about the potential hazard of consuming overripe bottle gourd.
A few months ago, a 66-year-old Vietnam-born resident was admitted to Christchurch Hospital with a diarrhoeal disease after consuming bottle gourd, which is also known as calabash.
It is believed to be the first known case of bottle gourd toxicity in New Zealand.
The patient had grown the calabash in his garden and cooked it in a stir fry. About six hours later, he developed significant abdominal pain.
Bottle gourd is commonly used as a culinary vegetable in Southeast Asia.
In India, juice from bottle gourd is also used to produce a tonic which is thought to have health benefits in diabetes, hypertension, liver disease and depression.
Christchurch Hospital general medicine consultant physician James Shawcross said the case offered a cautionary tale in preparing the vegetable for consumption.
Christchurch Hospital general medicine consultant physician James Shawcross. Photo: Courtesy of James Shawcross
What follows is a quick Q&A with the doctor on the risks associated with bottle gourd:
Are any benefits of bottle gourd medically proven?
In Western medicine, the benefits are not yet proven. That is the difficult thing. If we look at their effect on toxicity, we can perhaps see that they are useful in treating constipation, although it is not proven.
When does it become toxic?
It is thought to be the cucurbitacins (bitter compounds). They accumulate when the gourd is overripe or not stored properly, so growing them in greenhouses at high temperatures is probably a bad idea.
What are the symptoms of bottle gourd toxicity?
The first thing people experience is abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting. If someone has blood in their stool, they should treat it as an emergency and go to the Emergency Department.
Who is most vulnerable, and what should they do to minimise the risk?
If you are over 60 years old and taking nonsteroidal medicines, or if you have had stomach ulcers previously, you should avoid it to minimise the risk. If the fruit tastes unbearably bitter, it is probably best to avoid it.