Bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd, karela, and balsam pear, has been used in food and medicine for ages. It is also a popular antibacterial agent, antioxidant agent, and immune system modulator, making bitter gourd good for health. In this blog, we will answer what are the most common bitter gourd benefits and what bitter gourd nutrients make it so beneficial.
Introduction
Bitter melon (Momordica charantia), also known as the bitter gourd, is a “relative” of both cucumber and zucchini. It originates in Kerala, a South Indian state.
Bitter melon is one of the climbing shrubs that is primarily grown in Bangladesh, India, China, and Korea, all of which are Asian countries. The plant can also be found in the regions of the Amazon, East Africa, and the Caribbean.
Bitter melon has traditionally been used to treat a range of illnesses, and it has recently gained recognition as a natural diabetic remedy. Aside from all this, the high nutritional value of bitter gourd contributes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle in many ways. In this article, we will learn about the many benefits of eating bitter gourd and how you can incorporate it into your daily diet.
Bitter Gourd Nutrition
Bitter gourd is a vegetable that is often ignored due to its bitter taste, despite the fact that it contains numerous key nutrients. These bitter gourd nutrients pave the way for a healthier body and a stronger immune system. Because of its high mineral and vitamin content, it has a higher nutritional value than other cucurbits such as squash, pumpkin, cucumber, and zucchini. It also contains a lot of potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc. In addition to that, it has plenty of high dietary fibre content. The table mentioned below shows the nutritional makeup of bitter gourd in detail. These nutrients are the sole reason behind the amazing bitter melon benefits.
NUTRIENTS | AMOUNT per 100g |
ENERGY | 19.36 kcal |
PROTEIN | 1.61 g |
DIETARY FIBRE | 3.72 g |
CARBOHYDRATE | 2.29 g |
THIAMINE | 0.06 g |
RIBOFLAVIN | 0.04 g |
NIACIN | 0.30 g |
PANTOTHENIC ACID | 0.28 g |
BIOTIN | 6.85 mcg |
FAT | 0.26 g |
Bitter gourd uses
People can eat the entire fruit or consume it as:
- a powder/ dried powder mixed with warm water
- a supplement [ in the form of a tablet]
- a juice [ you can have it directly or mix equal proportion of water ]
Although the entire plant is edible, some individuals find it too bitter. To lessen the bitterness, try the following:
- sanding/ smoothing down the rough surface
- plucking out the seeds
- 1 hour of soaking in yoghurt before usage will reduce the level of bitterness
- To lessen the mostly disliked bitter flavour, prepare it with vegetables such as potatoes or onions, with a good mix of spices
Bitter gourd health benefits
- Momordica charantia, also known as bitter gourd, has been widely used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for ages to treat diabetes and its negative outcomes. Bitter gourd, or the kareal or korrolla, has been examined for its anti-diabetic, anti-ulcerogenic, anti-mutagenic, antioxidant, anti-lipolytic, analgesic, anti-viral, hypoglycemic, and immunomodulatory qualities.
- Bitter gourd is extremely rich in vitamins and minerals such as thiamine, beta-carotene, folate, riboflavin, and calcium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and dietary fibre. Consuming bitter gourd juice on a daily basis enhances stamina and prevents chronic weariness.
- As per many studies, consumption of bitter gourd also imparts neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, parkinson’s disease etc.
- Bio-active components in bitter gourd work against hyperlipidemia
- It has antimicrobial properties, which contribute to keeping many ailments at bay.
Bottomline
We’ve pretty much covered all the common bitter melon benefits. Some bitter melon components can potentially help treat a variety of health issues, including high blood glucose level, high blood pressure, and vascular dysfunction.
However, further research is needed to determine how and why it can be effective, as well as how safe bitter melon is in the long run.
Bitter melon or its constituents may one day provide supplemental treatment for various acute as well as chronic health ailments. Serve your kids this delicious stuffed bitter gourd delicacy this weekend.