Health Benefits of Bitter Gourd

Bitter melon may taste bitter but is rich in fibers and various micronutrients that possess numerous health benefits, including:

Bitter gourd is a rich source of vitamin C, which helps fight many diseases, and wound healing and is crucial for development and growth.
Vitamin A and beta-carotene present in bitter gourd are beneficial for our eyes’ health and improve vision. They are also effective for dark circles treatment.
Bitter gourd reduces several blood-sugar control markers, including hemoglobin A1c and fructosamine.
Bitter gourd is low in calories and high in fibers, which helps decrease body weight.
Vitamin folate, zinc, iron, and potassium are present in the bitter gourd, essential during neural growth and development in a fetus.
Bitter melon contains numerous powerful antioxidants, including catechin, epicatechin, chlorogenic acid, and gallic acid. These antioxidants help fight against radicals. They protect us from many diseases caused by oxidative damage, including cancers, aging, heart diseases, and chronic conditions.
Vitamin C, zinc, and protein components of bitter gourd promote hair growth and add shine to hairs.
Potassium, magnesium, and calcium in bitter melon reduce bad or LDL cholesterol levels in our blood and maintain good cholesterol or HDL levels. Cholesterol is one of the leading causes of many heart conditions, so bitter gourd improves heart health.

Bitter gourd has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which help excretion toxins from our blood and liver and heal many liver conditions. Regular consumption of bitter melon improves our gut health and treats many intestinal conditions, including constipation and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

1. Good for Diabetics
Bitter gourd has a compound that functions similar to insulin. In fact, ‘Karela and diabetes’ are often coined together! It reduces the blood glucose levels in both type I and type II diabetes. Consuming a glass of karela juice is so effective that diabetes patients need to reduce the dosage of their medicines. In fact, it can also help manage gestational diabetes. What is gestational diabetes? It is a type of diabetes that is first detected in pregnant women who did not have diabetes before they were pregnant. Bitter gourd can certainly be included in the Diet for Gestational Diabetes.

2. Good for the Skin and Hair
Karela is rich in antioxidants and vitamins A and C, which are good for the skin. It reduces ageing and fights acne and skin blemishes. It is useful in treating various skin infections like ringworm, psoriasis, and itching. Karela juice adds lustre to the hair and combats dandruff, hair loss, and split-ends.

3. Liver Cleanser
Bitter gourd is liver friendly and detoxifies. It boosts liver enzymes and is a good cure for a hangover as it reduces alcohol deposits on the liver. The bladder and the gut also benefit from consuming karela.

4. Good for Digestion
Karela is full of fibre and helps improve bowel movement. It relieves constipation and settles the stomach.

5. Improves Cardiac Health
Bitter gourd reduces LDL (bad cholesterol) and decreases the risk of suffering a heart attack. The fibre also helps to unclog the arteries.

6. Combats Cancer
Karela boosts immunity and prevents allergies and infections. But its most significant benefit is that it fights cancer. It works against cancer cells proliferation and stops tumour formation. The risk of breast, colon and prostate cancer is significantly reduced after regular consumption of bitter gourd.

It is that food most of us have been bitter about since our childhood! Yes, we are talking about bitter gourd. However, the benefits of bitter gourd tell you a different story and place it among the healthiest foods to eat.

Health Benefits Of Bitter Gourd
There is ample evidence that throws light on the benefits of bitter gourd. Its fruit, pulp, skin, seeds, and leaves are good for your health. The phytochemicals of this melon have a positive effect on diabetes, liver health, obesity, and related conditions.

1. Controls Diabetes
Abundant pre-clinical studies prove the antidiabetic property of bitter gourd. It exerts a hypoglycemic effect by controlling glucose metabolism (2).

It inhibits glucose uptake in the intestines and boosts its use in the muscles. The extracts of bitter gourd protect the pancreatic cells from pro-inflammatory cells and compounds (2).

The fruit pulp, seeds, and whole plant extracts of bitter gourd are documented to have a hypoglycemic (insulin-like) effect. The saponinsi , alkaloids, and polyphenolsi present in bitter gourd are responsible for increased insulin tolerance and glucose uptake

Along with glucose metabolism, bitter melon works on lipid metabolism as well. Studies have proven that it can reduce fat accumulation, thus exerting an anti-obesity effect (4).

Adding bitter gourd to the diet reduced the effect of high-fat food in rats. It was observed that the fruit could prevent weight gain by altering the corresponding gene expression (5).

Another recent study suggests that bitter melon seed oil may deplete the fat reserves in your body by selectively killing adipocytes (fat storage cells). This is because it contains active molecules like triterpenoid glycosides, alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols, carotenoids, and fatty acids that prevent the inflammation of adipose tissue, which is often linked to metabolic disorder (4), (5)

Related: 15 Powerful Herbs For Weight Loss And Their Benefits
3. Promotes Liver Health
Pre-clinical trials on rats demonstrate the hepatoprotective (liver-friendly) properties of bitter gourd. Obesity, diabetes, high-fat diets, and alcohol lead to the development of a fatty liver. Inflammation and free radicalsi can worsen such liver injuries. Thanks for reading please like and share. May God bless you.