Health Benefits of Bitter Gourd (Karela)

 Bitter gourd is a green-skinned vegetable with white to translucent flesh and a taste that fits its name. Unless you grew up with bitter gourd as part of your regular diet, it might take you a while to warm up to the bitter flavor.
 Did you know that bitter gourd or karela is not really a vegetable but a fruit? The part of the plant that is used for consumption and for various medicinal purposes is the fruit of the bitter squash. While we’ve been so busy condemning its bitter taste, we’ve not only overlooked this fact but also the wide range of benefits that drinking bitter gourd juice offers. Bitter gourd juice contains a train of important nutrients ranging from iron, magnesium and vitamin to potassium and vitamin C. An excellent source of dietary fiber, it also contains twice the calcium of spinach, beta-carotene of broccoli, and the potassium of a banana. Here are some crucial benefits of drinking bitter gourd juice. A quick tip to reduce the bitterness of the drink is to add some honey or jaggery to it or pair it with sweet fruits like apple or pears. You can even add lemon juice to lessen the harsh taste of bitter melon juice. A pinch of black pepper and ginger can also decrease the tartness. The taste however, needs to be developed because contrary to its name bitter gourd is in fact sweet for your health. We give you some amazing benefits of bitter gourd.

Helps in maintaining blood sugar levels

The World Health Organisation has estimated that over 382 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes. Bitter gourd contains an insulin-like compound called Polypeptide-p or p-insulin which has been shown to control diabetes naturally. According to a 2011 study, published in the sJournal Ethnopharmacolgy, a four-week clinical trial showed that 2,000 mg of bitter melon when taken on regular basis reduced the blood glucose level significantly in the patients suffering from type-2 diabetes. Studies have shown that this plant-based insulin in bitter gourd helps patients with type-1 diabetes as well. Another report issued in the Journal of Chemistry & Biology, gave evidence regarding the fact that bitter melon increases the uptake of glucose and improves glycemic control. People suffering from diabetes taking hypoglycaemic drugs may even be required to alter the dosage of their drugs if they consume bitter melon juice daily and consult a doctor before doing so.

Nutritional Value of Karela

Bitter gourd or Karela is low in calories. 100 grams of bitter gourd gives about 19 calories of energy. Around 3.5 grams of carbohydrates and 2.4 grams of fibre are present in 100 grams of karela while it contains only 150 mg of fats and 930 mg of proteins. It also has a high water content of 87 grams.
Karela is rich in vitamin A and vitamin C. Minerals like potassium, folate, zinc and iron are also present in karela.
Antioxidants like catechin, gallic acid, epicatechin and chlorogenic acid are obtained from karela, which helps to keep us free from many diseases.

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

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.

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.

Weight Management

Karela aids in weight loss as it is low in calories and fibre-rich. It stops the formation and growth of adipose cells, the ones that store fat in the body. It improves metabolism, and the antioxidants help detoxify the body leading to the reduction in fat.

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.

Heals Wounds

Karela has great healing properties. It controls the blood flow and blood clotting that helps in quicker healing of wounds and reduction in infections.

Blood Purifier

Karela has a high amount of antioxidants, and this helps it to cure many problems related to corrupted blood. Regular consumption of bitter gourd leads to improvement in skin, hair and cancer problems. Also, it helps to improve blood circulation.

Benefits the Eyes

Karela is rich in vitamin A and prevent cataract and strengthens vision. It even lightens dark circles.

Energises the Body

The body’s stamina and energy levels show remarkable improvement after regularly consuming karela. It even helps improve sleep quality and reduces sleep problems like insomnia.

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.
Longing for that flawless skin? Dr. Simran Saini from Fortis Hospital in New Delhi suggests that bitter gourd juice has powerful anti-oxidants along with vitamin A and C which prevent premature skin ageing and diminishes wrinkles. Furthermore, it reduces acne, aids in treating eczema and psoriasis, as well as protects the skin from the harmful UV rays.The nutrients vitamin A, vitamin C, Biotin and Zinc impart shine and lustre to your locks. Applying bitter gourd juice regularly to your scalp can decrease hair loss and greying of hair, treat split-ends and rough hair, shrug off dandruff, and combat itchiness. You can apply bitter gourd juice directly to stop hair fall or mix it with some curd and massage on your scalp and hair for conditioning. To treat dandruff, you can make a hair mask with bitter gourd juice, cumin seed paste and a tablespoon of lime juice. Leave for 30 minutes and rinse. Dr. Saini adds that the juice also acts as a blood purifier.

Bitter Melon Fruit Is Indicated In

Bleeding disorders like—heavy menstruation, nasal bleeding, etc.
Anorexia
Anaemia
Asthma and chronic respiratory disorders
Wounds/ulcers
Skin disorders like—allergic skin disorder
Urinary tract disorders
Diabetes
Cough/cold
Fever

 Health Benefits Of Bitter Melon (Gourd)

The fresh juice of bitter melon in the dose of 20-25 ml is used to reduce sugar level in the blood.
The fresh juice of bitter melon in the dose of 20-25 ml is used to treat anorexia, intestinal worms, liver disorders, etc.
The paste of the leaves of the plant is applied over the skin affected with diseases like—eczema, wounds and external pile mass.
The juice of bitter melon fruit and leaves of the plant is very useful in the conditions like—amenorrhea and for purifying the breast milk.
The juice of the fruit in the dosage of 20-25 ml is consumed to detox the blood as it acts as a natural blood purifier.
The fruit is also used as a medicine in cases of fever.
Bitter gourd is also useful in cases of eye problems like—far-sightedness and near-sightedness.
Bitter melon is also useful in the early stages of cholera.
Bitter melon’s result in the cases of diabetes is excellent because a polypeptide present in Karela acts like insulin to help fight diabetes.
It is also beneficial in the conditions like—asthma, bronchitis, pharyngitis, cirrhosis of the liver, etc.
Bitter melon is very bitter in taste as the name suggests so the best option is to use bitter melon capsules. Ayurveda has recommended Bitter melon as the best alternative treatment for sugar control.
Bitter melon is also a rich source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C and it has twice the potassium of Bananas. So, it is the richest source of Potassium.