Watery, low-energy and fiber-rich zucchini can become part of a diet high in vegetables, limiting salt and controlling carbohydrates - principles recommended by health organizations to protect cardiovascular and metabolic health.
A bowl of luffa soup cooked with shrimp or lean meat, with scallions and herbs, seasoned lightly may be more suitable than luffa stir-fried with a lot of oil or luffa dishes seasoned with rich fish sauce and seasoning powder.
The point to note here is not only the loofah itself but also the accompanying ingredients. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that high salt content increases blood pressure, while increasing consumption of potassium-rich foods from vegetables and fruits can help reduce the adverse effects of sodium on blood pressure.
Therefore, if you use loofah in older people's meals, seasoning lightly is the important factor.
A bowl of watermelon soup with lots of vegetables but accompanied by salty broth, fish sauce or spices containing a lot of sodium can still increase the total salt intake of the meal.
Luffa is not a "hypoglycemic" food. However, adding luffa and starchy vegetables to meals can help increase vegetable and fiber intake but not significantly increase carbohydrate intake.
For people over 60 years old, this eating method is even more meaningful because it controls blood sugar.
A reasonable way to eat can be loofah soup with shrimp + steamed fish or lean meat + a moderate portion of rice. Loofah takes on the vegetable portion; shrimp, fish or lean meat provide protein; and rice provides carbohydrates.
In particular, elderly people should not only eat loofah soup to lose weight or reduce blood sugar. Elderly people with diabetes and malnutrition may be related to muscle loss, impaired function and quality of life.
For people with high blood pressure, loofah can be processed by boiling, steaming or cooking soup; limit stir-frying with a lot of oil and do not use too much fish sauce, salt, and seasoning powder.
When eating with rice, you should keep the appropriate carb portion instead of eating a lot of rice.
Therefore, after the age of 60, loofah can appear frequently in meals in the form of simple soup or vegetable dishes.
But the benefits for blood pressure and blood sugar mainly come from the way meals are built: more vegetables, enough protein, controlled carbohydrate intake and reduced salt.
