Although bitter melon is bitter, it has a sweet effect on your life. Bitter melon is a fruit in the gourd family with a distinctive flavour and look. In addition to being high in several vital nutrients, it has been connected to a host of health advantages, such as better cholesterol and blood sugar regulation.
Bitter Melon, sometimes referred to as bitter gourd, is closely related to cucumber, zucchini, squash, and pumpkin. It is grown all over the world for its edible fruit, which is a mainstay in many Asian culinary traditions.
The Chinese variety is usually covered in wart-like bumps and is long and pale green. The Indian variety, on the other hand, is narrower and has pointed ends with jagged, rough spikes on the rind. The USDA and NIH back these statistics.
9 Bitter Melon Health Benefits
1. Aids In Keeping Blood Sugar Levels Stable
Bitter Melon is one of the most potent fruits for managing diabetes mellitus; it contains a charantin peptide that acts like insulin to help reduce blood sugar levels and alkaloids within the fleshy fruit of bitter Melon. Each of these ingredients actively contributes to lowering blood sugar levels. It also assists in preventing erratic increases and decreases in insulin levels by controlling the body's metabolism and utilisation of sugar from food. Because it is a potent hypoglycemic agent, do not use it if you are taking blood sugar-lowering medications.
2. Lowers Harmful Cholesterol Levels
Juice from bitter gourds is well known for its anti-inflammatory properties and for its ability to decrease harmful cholesterol levels in the body. As a result, the risk of heart attack and stroke is greatly decreased. Because it is high in potassium, which absorbs excess sodium from the body, it also helps to maintain blood pressure in the body. Iron and folic acid, which are abundant in it, are known to lower the incidence of stroke and maintain heart health.
3. Weight Management
Bitter Melon may help with body fat loss and weight control. According to certain research, extracts from bitter melon may prevent the development and buildup of fat cells. Furthermore, because of its high fibre content, it may help with weight control by increasing feelings of fullness and lowering hunger. It's crucial to remember that even though bitter melon can be a useful component of a weight-loss strategy, for best effects, it should be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and frequent exercise.
4. Haemorrhoid Relief
Numerous studies have demonstrated that bitter melon's anti-inflammatory properties make it an excellent ointment for painful ailments known as haemorrhoids or piles. When you create a paste from the root of the bitter melon plant, you can apply it topically to reduce the inflammation and relieve pain and bleeding. For comparable effects, if you can tolerate the bitter flavour, try drinking bitter melon juice!
5. Enhanced Resistance
It contains a wide variety of antioxidants; bitter melon is an effective tool in the body's fight against disease. Antioxidants scavenge the body for free radicals and harmful substances generated during cell metabolism that can cause many different ailments. By adding bitter melon to your diet, you can dramatically boost your odds of defending against very dangerous ailments, like heart attack, renal damage, and liver failure, three of the many sites where free radicals tend to cause health concerns.
6. Cancer Prevention
Bitter melon offers other benefits in relation to cancer outside its antioxidant content, which may aid in the detection and elimination of free radicals that are known to cause diseases, including many types of cancer. A lot of research has been done on bitter melon's antioxidant antitumor and anti-carcinogenic qualities alone. Eating bitter melon has primarily been linked in studies to the prevention or reduction of tumour growth in patients with breast, prostate, and cervical cancer.
7. Relieving Asthma
There have been a few studies that showed bitter melon as a means of getting relief from respiratory conditions like asthma, bronchitis and hay fever. It is the perfect supplement to support respiratory health because of its antihistamine, suppressant, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and antiviral qualities. It is advised to consume some bitter melon before bed for the calming benefits to take effect while you sleep!
8. Decrease Hair Loss
The nutrients vitamin A, vitamin C, Biotin, and Zinc impart shine and lustre to hair. Use the juice of bitter gourd directly to prevent hair loss or combine it with a little curd and massage the scalp and hair to provide conditioning. A hair mask including bitter gourd juice, cumin seed paste, and a spoonful of lime juice works wonders for treating dandruff. Applying bitter gourd juice daily to your scalp helps prevent hair loss and greying of hair, heal split ends and rough hair, shrug off dandruff and combat irritation.
9. For Glowing And Healthy Skin
Bitter gourd juice reduces wrinkles and prevents premature skin ageing because it contains potent antioxidants and vitamins A and C. In addition, it lessens acne, helps heal psoriasis and eczema, and shields the skin from damaging UV rays. Bitter gourd juice offers anti-inflammatory and blood-purifying qualities that help maintain healthy, beautiful skin by circulating clean blood.
Bitter Melon may even become one of your staples, as it is for so many others around the world! Try experimenting with different recipes!