Bitter Gourd now don’t make that face, though bitterness is in its name it has an ample amount of antioxidants and essential vitamins required for healthy living.
The scientific name of bitter gourd is Momordica Charanti belongs to Cucurbitaceae family.
Bitter gourd also is known as bitter melon or bitter squash in English. Bitter gourd is well known as a vegetable, but it’s a fruit.
They are dark green or light green depending on the region they are cultivated. The bitterness of Bitter gourd is known for its medicinal values.
Bitter gourd is one of the most popular vegetables in many Asian countries.
You can find bitter melon in tropical countries like Africa, the Carribean, and Asia. It is grown as a field crop as well as backyard vegetable. It is a fast-growing, climbing vine with tendrils and stems.
Table of Contents
Bitter Gourd Juice
Bitter gourd has an extensive array of nutrients, water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C, B1, B2 and B3 along with zinc, alkaloids, manganese and folic acid.
As compared to other green vegetables bitter gourd is the richest vegetable in vitamins and minerals.
Nutritional Value
100gm Of Bitter Melon Juice Contains The Following Content
- Energy-17 kcal
- Carbohydrate-3.70 gm
- Protein-1gm
- Total fat-0.17gm
- Cholesterol-0mg
- Dietary fiber-2.80mg
- Niacin-0.400mg
- Folate-72µg
- Pyridoxine-0.043mg
- Riboflavin-0.040mg
- Thiamin-0.040mg
- Sodium-5 mg
- Potassium-296 mg
- Calcium-19mg
- Iron-0.43mg
- Copper-0.034mg
Rich In Vitamins
Bitter melon is rich in vitamin C, and B.In 100gm of raw pod vitamin C constitutes 84mg which is 140%, which is essential for a balanced daily diet. It is also a good source of vitamin B like niacin or vitamin B3, vitamin B5 and B6.
Calorie Content
The calorie content in a bitter gourd is very little in 100gm serving only 17 calories.
Health Benefits Of Bitter Gourd Juice
Bitter melon is loaded with a variety of health benefits. It not only makes delicious curry, but it is a solution to our medical problems.
Africans and Asians use bitter melons to treat their disturbed stomachs. They eat it raw, or they soak it in either honey or olive oil. Following are the health benefits of bitter gourd.
1. Cures Diabetes
Diabetic patients now stop worrying about your increasing blood sugar level. Here is the solution to your problem and that is Bitter gourd juice. A small cup of this juice increases the insulin level of your body.
The compound named Charatin keeps your glucose low and controls your sugar levels. Diabetes patients should make bitter melon as a part of their daily diet either as a fruit or its juice.
2. Prevents Cancer
Cancer is almost an incurable disease if not detected at an initial stage. Bitter gourd plays a key role in preventing certain types of cancer. It stops cancer cells from multiplying.
3. Treats Constipation
Bitter melon helps in digestion as it contains fiber properties.
Regular consumption of its juice promotes digestion by throwing out the waste from your body curing problems like ingestion and constipation.
Bitter gourd contains cellulose, which is a good source of fiber thus cures constipation.
4. Respiratory Disorders
Bitter melon juice can also cure your respiratory issues. Its juice is the best remedy for curing respiratory issues like asthma, cold, and cough.
Make a mixture of paste of bitter melon along with a paste of Tulsi leaves and honey. Drink this daily with lukewarm water early morning.
5. Weight Loss
Obesity has increased two folds in the last decade because of unhealthy eating habits amongst youth.
Being a low-calorie drink with a high amount of vitamins and minerals bitter gourd juice is ideal for people with weight loss programs.
6. HIV/AIDS
Regular consumption of bitter melon juice is best for the triggering condition of an HIV patient.
According to studies conducted on natural antibodies of HIV/AIDS, the goodness of juice prevents the damage of the skin cells.
7. Immune System
If you wonder what exactly is the immune system? Then let me explain, in layman’s language immune system is a system of your body that protects you from diseases.
If you have a poor immune system, then you are vulnerable to many diseases and harmful infections.
To make your immune system strong, boil bitter melon leaves or fruits in water and drink it daily.
8. Liver And Health
Everybody wants a healthy body. For a healthy liver and kidney, drink bitter melon juice every day. It is also useful in treating kidney stones.
9. Treats Cholera
Cholera being the deadliest disease harms people of all age groups. If you are suffering from cholera, then bitter gourd is your natural and cheap solution.
All you have to take is two spoons of Karela juice and mix it with an equal quantity of white onion juice. Consume this mixture until you are fit.
10. Skin Problems
Regular consumption of bitter melon juice can help you to get rid of acne, blemishes, fine lines and deep skin infections.
Bitter melon is effective in curing blood disorders like itching, scabies, ringworm, fungal infections, blood boil, and psoriasis.
For effective and fast results, drink the juice of bitter melon with empty lemon stomach daily for six months or till you get the satisfactory result. This remedy would turn your skin flawless and beautiful.
11. Healing Qualities
Bitter gourd helps in controlling the blood flow and clotting. Thus, the wound heals faster and prevents further infections.
12. Cardiac Issues
Bitter gourd also deals with cardiac issues. It helps in reducing the bad cholesterol, which clog the arterial walls and increases the risk of heart attack.
It also reduces the blood sugar levels that help in maintaining good heart health.
13. Eye Problems
Bitter gourd is the solution for your eye problem too. Its richness in beta-carotene helps you to solve eye related issues.
Drinking bitter gourd juice or having raw fruit can be an effective solution for various health problems.
14. Treats Malaria
To treat malaria, boil Karela leaves and drink its extract. This remedy ultimately kills the malaria bacteria.
It also helps you to prevent some viruses like measles, chicken pox, and herpes. Children don’t like it, but it helps them to fight with these deadliest diseases.
15. Hangover Problems
Consuming alcohol is becoming a status symbol these days, but excess consumption can result in a hangover.
The solution to this problem is bitter melon juice. It can wash off your hangover better than any other agent.
Excess consumption of alcohol can damage your liver. The intoxicating properties of Karela juice can remove harmful toxins from your liver making it healthy.
16. Treatment For Piles
Hemorrhoids commonly known as piles are becoming common these days.
To solve the problem of piles all you need to do is get three spoons of bitter melon juice, mix it with buttermilk and consume it daily empty stomach.
Piles can be healed externally also, make a paste of the bitter melon root and apply it over the infected area.
17. Gout
Gout is a medical condition of recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis.
The main reason for gout pain is the presence of toxins in the blood and excess of uric acid. Regular consumption of bitter gourd juice can help to get rid of your gout pain.
18. Folates
Bitter gourds are an excellent source of folate vitamin carrying about 72 µg/100g. Pregnant women should consume bitter gourd as it reduces the incidents of neural tube defects in newborn babies.
19. Anti-Aging
Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant present in bitter gourd.
By eliminating the harmful radicals, it prevents wrinkles, fine lines by slowing down the aging process. It protects your skin from UV radiations.
20. Promotes Digestion
Bitter gourd contains compounds like anthelmintic or antihelmintic.
It helps to cure gastrointestinal diseases, and it also kills parasitic worms that grow inside our body. By eradicating toxins from our body, it protects good bacteria in our body.
Hair Benefits Of Bitter Gourd
Bitter melon juice is the best home remedy for treating your hair problems. It promotes shiny and healthy hair.
Bitter gourd juice has many health and skin benefits along with the following hair benefits.
1. Shiny Hair
To add luster to your hair, mix a cup of fresh bitter gourd juice with yogurt and apply it on your hair for 30-35 mins and then rinse it thoroughly.
This will make your hair bouncy, shiny and beautiful.
2. Treats Dandruff
Our scalp is exposed to heat, dust, and pollution causing dandruff.
To ward off your dandruff, prepare a hair pack by mixing bitter melon juice with cumin seeds and apply this hair pack once a week before head wash for 25-30 mins.
Regular usage of this pack will help you say goodbye to dandruff within a month.
3. Hair Loss Treatment
Now forget those expensive hair fall treatments and use bitter gourd juice. Apply the mixture of bitter gourd juice with half spoon sugar once a week for best results.
4. Dry And Itchy Scalp
The Rough, dry and flaky scalp can be treated with bitter gourd. Rub the raw piece of bitter gourd directly on your scalp in a circular motion, then rinse it thoroughly.
Itchy scalp can treat by mixing bitter gourd juice with either banana or avocado and apply it on your hair. Apply this at least once a week to get rid of itchy scalp.
5. Grey And Oily Hair
Excess usage of hair colors and other hair styling products can lead to premature gray hair.
This can be treated with bitter gourd juice; you just have to apply on gray strands and wash it after some time.
Apply this at least once in ten days to stop the further growth of gray hair. Oily hair can also be treated with this juice, mix bitter gourd juice with apple cider vinegar to remove excess oil from your hair.
Precautions
Though bitter gourd has amazing benefits, you should keep the following points in mind before consuming it.
- Always wash bitter melon properly under water.
- For best results, only use fresh bitter gourd.
- Deep green, fresh and bright bitter gourd are best to use.
- Don’t consume more than two bitter melons a day.
- Always store bitter melons in cool, dry place to retain its freshness and taste.
- Before using it for cooking bitter marinade gourd with salt to reduce is bitterness.
- Bitter gourd has its laxative effects which may lead to premature contraction, vaginal bleeding, and abortions. Do consult a doctor before consuming it.
- Bitter gourd contains alkaloid substances like quinine, medicine, resins and saponin glycosides, which may cause intolerance in some people.
- If you suffer from low blood sugar or hypoglycemia, do not consume Karela juice as it can cause a sudden decrease in blood sugar level.
- Lactating mothers should avoid consuming bitter gourd.
- Red arils on the seeds of bitter gourd can be harmful to children; they may cause vomiting and diarrhea. If your child is allergic to bitter gourds, avoid giving them this vegetable.
- Excess consumption of bitter gourd can result in a hypoglycemic coma; this is a condition of coma caused by excessive dosage of insulin. So consumption of bitter gourd should be limited.
- Bitter gourd can harm your liver indirectly. Long-term consumptions of bitter gourd can result in atherosclerosis that is the hardening of the arteries.
- Bitter melon supplements can cause headaches, gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and nausea, especially if you consume large amounts.
- Never consume bitter melon seeds as these may cause abdominal pain, fever, headaches and even coma.
How To Prepare Bitter Gourd Juice?
Bitter gourd juice has marvelous benefits as stated above. People who are suffering from diabetes should regularly consume Karela juice for best results.
If you are overweight and desire to shed your weight start drinking Karela juice, it boosts your metabolism of fat.
Karela juice available in the markets is full of preservatives which may lower down its original nutrients.
A juicing machine or a regular blender is the only obvious option to avoid preservatives all you have to do is follow this recipe for extracting Karela juice yourself.
Step:1
Peel the skin of bitter gourd using a knife.
Step:2
Wash it thoroughly under running water and place it on a cutting board.
Step:3
Scoop out the seeds of bitter gourd using a spoon and slice the bitter gourd.
Step:4
Cut the green portion in small, medium size cubes with a knife.
Step:5
Take a bowl and some water into it, now add the bitter gourd cubes in the bowl and cover it for half hour. If you wish to reduce the bitterness, add one tablespoon of salt in water.
Step:6
Add the bitter gourd to a blender or a juicer. Pour some water or apple juice or lemon juice to reduce the bitterness. Blend the ingredients until it’s smooth and uniform.
Step:7
Place a strainer or a thin cloth over a glass or bowl. Pour the juice through the strainer so that the solid pieces of bitter gourd can be removed. Press hard the solid pieces to extract the maximum juice out of it.
Step:8
Place the juice in the refrigerator to chill and while serving, add some black pepper or chaat masala.
After reading so many sweet benefits of this bitter fruit, I’m sure your next meal will include Karela. Diabetic patients and overweight should consider bitter melon juice as their best food.
Now you can get rid of those expensive medicines and opt for cheap bitter melon available in next door markets.
Stay healthy and stay natural.