Huck
Gak (lat. Momordica cochinchinensis) is a fruit plant representing the Pumpkin family. Sometimes gak is called Momordica Cochin, and the word “gak” itself is of Vietnamese origin.
Description
Gak is a strongly climbing herbaceous annual with bizarre tripartite leaves. And simple yellow gaka flowers can have a wide variety of shapes.
Gaka fruits are characterized by an elliptical or spherical shape and reach a diameter of ten to twelve centimeters. The surface of these unusual fruits is densely strewn with miniature spines, and inside there are not very pleasant-smelling seeds.
Where does it grow
Gak is grown primarily in Southeast Asian countries — Cambodia, India, Laos, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Thailand, as well as the Philippines, Vietnam and China. And sometimes you can find it in some European botanical gardens.
Application
Most often, gak is consumed fresh, and it is also added to rice when preparing a vegetarian version of banh tiung — a Vietnamese New Year”s pie. By the way, the calorie content of gak is very low — it is only 19 kcal per 100 g.
Despite the unpleasant odor, gaka seeds have excellent healing properties — they contain sapotoxin with a high hemolytic index and oil rich in lycopene and carotene (that is, provitamin A). 1 ml of this oil contains up to thirty milligrams of carotene — this is fifteen times more than in carrots! In addition, such an amount of carotene easily covers a person’s daily need for this substance several times! And it is precisely this property that is at the same time an important restriction on the use of this oil, because it can lead to vitamin A poisoning, that is, hypervitaminosis A.
Gak is widely used in healing, and since ancient times. Its oil is an excellent remedy for treating burns, ulcers and wounds. And strictly dosed use of this oil helps not only restore and maintain mental and physical strength, but also perfectly strengthen the immune system. It is also useful for children with developmental delays, as well as people with impaired vision and a wide variety of eye ailments (decreased visual acuity, conjunctivitis, night blindness, sensations of sand and dryness in the eyes, etc.). And in case of increased susceptibility to various colds, gaka oil will become an excellent immunostimulating agent.
Hack oil is also used in the treatment of certain ailments of the cardiovascular system (angina, ischemia, etc.) and the gastrointestinal tract (colitis, ulcers, etc.). It will also be an excellent helper for various nail and hair defects. In general, its use helps to provide a pronounced rejuvenating effect on the body.
And lycopene, which is found in gac oil, is endowed with the ability to destroy up to 75% of cancer-causing substances. In addition, today lycopene is the best preventative against heart attack. And oleic acid and vitamin F in this oil help lower cholesterol.
Gaka oil is rich in vitamin E, which has a beneficial effect on the skin — this property has made it possible to actively use it in the cosmetic industry.
Gaka roots are also useful — they are rich in triterpene saponins, widely used for bronchitis as an expectorant, as well as in the treatment of rheumatism. The leaves of this plant are actively used for insect and snake bites, as well as for the treatment of skin abscesses, and its seeds boast excellent anti-edematous, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and anti-fever effects.
Contraindications
When consuming gaka, individual intolerance cannot be ruled out, and you should also refrain from consuming these fruits during pregnancy.
