Bitter Gourd Nutrition and Health Benefits Of Bitter Gourd

Bitter gourd, as the name implies is a vegetable that belongs to the melon family and is extremely bitter to taste. Bitter gourd health benefits are brought about because of its high density in precious nutrients.

Bitter Gourd Health Benefits

• Bitter gourd are rich sources of complex vitamin B, C, essential minerals such as magnesium, folate, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, and high dietary fiber.
• Bitter gourd and diabetes are closely linked to each other, since ancient days as herbalists believe that bitter gourd possesses powerful qualities in controlling the blood condition.
• Health benefits of bitter gourd can be realized through a specific phyto-nutrient believed to have a hypoglycemic effect on diabetes.
  
  
  Moreover, bitter gourds are also rich in iron, beta-carotene, calcium and potassium, which make it an ideal nutritional supplement.
• Some medical researchers are of the opinion that a particular insulin-like compound known as polypeptide P works as an effective insulin replacement in patients with diabetes.
• The health benefits of bitter gourd are almost unparalled among fruits/vegetables in its abilities to provide medicinal properties for ailments.
  
  
  Consuming the juice of bitter gourd for health is believed to be extremely beneficial in treating blood disorders such as blood boils and itching due to blood poisoning caused by bacterial toxic substances in the blood. Consuming regular quantities of bitter gourd juice is known to enhance the levels of energy and stamina in the body and is especially beneficial for people with chronic fatigue syndrome.
• Some herbalists believe that even restless sleeping patterns can get normalized or stabilized with the regular consumption of bitter gourd juice.
  
  
  The high levels of beta-carotene and other beneficial compounds in bitter gourd juice make it one of the best vegetable-fruit in easing eye disorders and enriching eyesight.
• Bitter gourd juice is also known to cure a bad hangover and can cure alcohol intoxication by helping to cleanse and repair the liver after consuming alcohol. As a form of folk remedy, bitter gourd was used by herbalists to treat diabetes.
  
  
  
• Recent medical studies have established that bitter gourd possesses a 'plant-insulin’, which helps in bringing down the levels of sugar in the blood and urine in the body.
• Diabetic patients must therefore liberally consume bitter gourd juice everyday to obtain beneficial results.
• Bitter gourd seeds can also be consumed in a powdered de-bittered form for those who find the taste of the juice unpalatable. Bitter gourd can also be consumed in the form of a decoction by boiling fresh pieces of bitter gourd in water and consuming it like a herbal tea.

Bitter Gourd

What is bitter gourd?

Bitter gourd can be described as a tropical vegetable, which is mainly cultivated in a few Asian and African countries. It is also referred to as “Karela” in some of the regions.  Bitter gourd is dark green in color, with a skin that is rough and warty. As the name suggests this vegetable has a bitter taste. However, the consumption of this vegetable is very high, since there are several health benefits of bitter gourd that are well known of. First of all, bitter gourd is believed to contain medicinal properties, which can help fight off certain diseases and conditions. There are several doctors and fitness experts who recommend bitter gourd for diabetes, as this vegetable can reduce the levels of sugar in the blood. One of the other bitter gourd benefits is that it this vegetable has appetizing, antidotal, stomachic, antipyretic, anti-bilious, tonic and laxative properties. These various benefits of bitter gourd make it one of the most commonly used medicinal vegetables in Asia and Africa.

What are the different bitter gourd health benefits?

There are numerous bitter gourd health benefits and advantages that people are aware of. Given below are some of the common reasons that make people eat bitter gourd on a regular basis:

•   Controlling diabetes: As mentioned earlier, this vegetable has the ability to lower the levels of sugar in the blood, which is very effective in controlling diabetes. This is probably the most important health benefit of bitter gourd.
•   Fighting off cancer and other conditions: Studies indicate that the regular consumption of bitter gourd can boost the body’s ability to ward of several infections as well as diseases, some of them being as severe as cancer. Hypertension too can be prevented by adding bitter gourd to a daily diet.
•   Speeding up the recovery process: Several people are asked to consume bitter gourd tea when recovering from various conditions. One of the most important bitter gourd tea benefits is that it can be used in the treatment of Malaria.
•   Improving digestion: Since bitter gourd contains natural laxative properties, it can help relieve constipation if consumed regularly. People who are suffering from piles can also consume fresh bitter gourd juice on a regular basis, for alleviating the symptoms of the condition.
•   Treating skin diseases: Several health and skin experts suggest using home remedies made from bitter gourd, to cure a certain skin condition, known as psoriasis.
•   Weight loss: Several weight loss programs and experts recommend drinking bitter gourd juice, since it has a slimming effect on the body.
•   Treating alcoholism: People who are trying to recover from alcohol abuse are usually advised to drink the juice of bitter gourd leaves.
•   Purifying the blood: The bitter tonic properties that are present in this vegetable help purify the blood, by getting rid of all the toxins and impurities.

Bitter gourd nutritional value

While most people are aware of the various health benefits of bitter gourd, there are not many who know about bitter gourd nutrition facts. It is important for people to know what the bitter gourd nutritional benefits are, especially if they are planning to add this vegetable to their daily diets. Given below is the bitter gourd nutrition information, per 100 grams:

•  Calcium    - 19 mg
•  Cholesterol    - 0 mg
•  Copper    - 0.034 mg
•  Dietary Fiber    - 3 g 
•  Dietary Folate Equivalents  - 72 mcg
•  Folate     - 72 mcg
•  Folic Acid    - 0 mcg 
•  Food Folate    - 5.6 mcg 
•  Iron     - 0.43 mg
•  Magnesium    - 17 mg
•  Manganese    - 0.089 mg
•  Pantothenic Acid   - 0.212 mcg
•  Phosphorus    - 31 mg
•  Potassium    - 296 mg
•  Protein    - 1 g
•  Saturated Fat    - 0g
•  Selenium    - 0.2 mcg
•  Sodium    - 5 mg
•  Sodium    - 5 mg
•  Sugar     - 0 g 
•  Total Carbohydrates   - 4 g
•  Total Fat    - 0g
•  Zinc     - 0.8 mg

Bitter gourd recipes

There are many bitter gourd recipes that are easily available through online resources and recipe books. However, in case people are consuming bitter gourd for health purposes, it is important to use the right recipe. For example, consuming bitter gourd fry once in a while may be acceptable, but if consumed every day, it could lead to high cholesterol, obesity and other health problems. Therefore, people can make a bitter gourd curry instead, using minimal oil and spices, which is not only healthy but can also be very tasty. Apart from using a bitter gourd curry recipe, there are many people who slit the vegetable and stuff it with fish, or vegetables, mixed with spices and either roast it or sauté it. Bitter gourd soup with fish balls is also quite popular in some parts of the world.

There are thousands of people around the world who love eating bitter gourd in different forms. This is probably why there are so many bitter gourd recipes easily available through books and online resources. However, because of its taste and texture, bitter gourd may be an acquired taste, because there are many people who cannot eat it in the form of a vegetable. There are some people who also consume bitter gourd tea or bitter gourd juice instead of eating the vegetable. For those, who cannot stomach it at all, there are companies that have started manufacturing bitter gourd pills. These pills are more commonly used by diabetics, than the others. However, it is important to receive a go ahead from a doctor before adding bitter gourd pills to a diet. It is also imperative to consult a doctor, for daily recommended doses of these pills. Consuming more than what is required or recommended could cause the levels of blood sugar to drop below normal, which is as dangerous as high blood sugar, if not worse. Therefore, in order to avoid any such health complications, a doctor should be consulted over how much bitter gourd can be consumed in a day, in different forms.