Bitter melon is widely known around Asia as vegetable but the fact is, bitter melon is actually a fruit. Though a lot of people cannot stand with its bitter taste but if you cook it in the right way, the bitter taste could be reduced significantly and leave you a delicious vegetable that gives you a lot of health benefits.
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What is Bitter Melon?
Bitter melon has scientific name Momordica charantia and widely cultivated around Asia and Africa. Well, if you are familiar with this fruit, it is going to be impossible for you to mistaken it with any other types of melon the fruits. From the unique appearance up to the taste is completely different. Though perhaps, some of you might be wondering why this fruit is called bitter melon if it has nothing to do with the melons you have known. Perhaps because they are coming from the same subtropical vine plants. Thus, here are the health benefits of bitter melon fruit.
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Nutritional Value of Bitter Melon
| Bitter Melon (Boiled)
Serving Size: 100 g |
|
| Energy | 19 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 4.32 g |
| –Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sugar | 1.95 g |
| –Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Total Fat | 0.18 g |
| Protein | 0.84 g |
| Water | 93.95 g |
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin A | 6 µg – 1% |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.051 mg – 4% |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.053 mg – 4% |
| Vitamin B3 | 0.28 mg – 2% |
| Vitamin B5 | 0.19 mg – 4% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.041 mg – 3% |
| Vitamin B9 | 51 µg – 13% |
| Vitamin C | 33 mg – 40% |
| Vitamin E | 0.14 mg – 1% |
| Vitamin K | 4.8 µg – 5% |
| Minerals | |
| Calcium | 9 mg – 1% |
| Iron | 0.38 mg – 3% |
| Magnesium | 16 mg – 5% |
| Manganese | 0.086 mg – 4% |
| Phosphorus | 36 mg – 5% |
| Potassium | 319 mg – 7% |
| Sodium | 6 mg |
| Zinc | 0.77 mg – 8% |
From its bitter taste, bitter melon is surprisingly offering you a lot of health benefits. As rich of vitamin and minerals, bitter melon is also packed with some powerful antioxidants. To find out more about the health benefits of bitter melon fruit, the lists are as below.
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- Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
There is no easy way to deal with diabetes especially when it runs in the family. However, some studies have shown the some facts that those who consume bitter melon juice regularly is likely able to reduce their blood glucose level.
- Reduces Insulin Resistance
Bitter melon is not only recommended for patients with type 2 diabetes but also type 1 diabetes because it also able to reduce the insulin resistance so blood sugar level in the blood stream could be controlled.
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- Promotes Healthy Bones
The combination of vitamin K and calcium found in bitter melon has been proven to be effective in promoting healthy bones and preventing some bone conditions to occur.
- Reduces the Risk of Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis could occur when calcium stock in the body is not enough to maintain the bone health. Well, why don’t you add bitter melon to your diet to make sure vitamin K and calcium to promote healthy bones and reduce the risk fo osteoporosis.
- Contains Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Anti-inflammatory properties contained in bitter melon is effective in reducing the symptoms of some inflammatory conditions.
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- Improves Your Vision
Beta carotene and vitamin A are perfect combination to improves your vision especially night vision. Studies have proven that those who are consuming bitter melon regularly could improve their vision significantly even by those who have been diagnosed with myopia.
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- Slows Down the Progress of Macular Degeneration
Getting old is something you cannot stop but conditions like macular degeneration could be slowed down significantly just by consuming bitter melon regularly because it contains some powerful antioxidant that great for cell regeneration.
- Great for Liver
The main function of liver is to make sure your body is free from toxic properties. Hepatic properties found in bitter melon will improve the liver performance to make it works in much easier way.
- Natural Body Detox
Your body is needed to be detoxified and some people are depending on some supplement they found in marketplace. Well, just by consuming bitter melon regularly you could detox your body regularly as well in much more natural way.
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- Kills Cancerous Cell
Antioxidants found in bitter melon could help preventing free radicals to develop cancerous cells and at the same time there are some powerful compounds that could kills the cancerous cells as well to prevent them from further mutation.
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- Solution to Weight Loss
Bitter melon is one fruit which calories level is very low so it is great fruit to consume during your weight loss program, besides that bitter melon is also high in fiber to optimize the digestion for optimal nutrients absorption.
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- Improves Immunity
When your immunity system is good it will be easier for you to deal with conditions caused by viral infection because you could accelerate the recovery process significantly. Well, there are many health benefits of bitter melon fruit.
- Breaks Down Kidney Stones
If you have problem with kidney stones, consuming bitter melon juice regularly you could help you breaking down the kidney stones naturally without surgery.
- Reduces the Level of Cholesterol
High cholesterol level could lead to some fatal heart conditions. Bitter melon contains some properties that could help binding ‘bad’ cholesterol and promoting the production of ‘good’ cholesterol instead.
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- Purifies Blood
Purified blood means your body and mind will be purified as well. Consuming bitter melon juice regularly could help you feel fresh and your skin will look much younger.
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- Excellent Remedy to Respiratory Disorder
Not only the bitter melon fruit, the bitter melon leaves are also effective remedy to respiratory disorder like cold and asthma. You could add honey and lemon juice to improve the taste and enhance its benefits.
- Treats Acne Naturally from Inside
If you are fighting acne condition from the outside perhaps to optimize the result, you could consume bitter melon to treat acne naturally from the inside.
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- Deals with Constipation in More Effective Way
The key to deal with constipation is consuming foods that are rich of fiber. Bitter melon is one of the fruit which dietary fiber is relatively high and could fulfill your daily intake of fiber to deal with constipation in more effective way.
- Reduces the Chance of Heart Attack
Heart attack could occur when arteries and veins were blocked with blood clot. Bitter melon has some properties that could prevent the accumulation of blood clot in the vessel walls to reduce the risk of heart attack as well as the risk of strokes.
- Natural Energy Booster
Some people have proven that just by consuming bitter melon regularly they feel more energized and have better sleeping pattern.
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- Great for Skin
As mentioned above, bitter melon is also great to treat acnes because overall bitter melon is really great for skin. The blood purifying properties could make your skin looks younger and healthier.
- Contains Anti-aging Properties
You cannot stop yourself from aging but you could slow down the process. Bitter melon has some effective anti-aging properties to help you looking younger in longer time.
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- Fight Skin Infection in Efficient Way
It is never easy to deal with some skin infections like eczema and psoriasis but some studies have shown that bitter melon contains some properties that could fight skin infection in more efficient way.
- Accelerates Wound Healing
Bitter melon has some healing properties that are great to accelerating the wound healing process by controlling the blood clotting.
- Promotes Healthy Hair Growth
If you are currently facing some hair problems, you could consume bitter melon regularly or use it as hair mask to promote healthy hair growth because bitter melon contains some properties that could nourish the scalp.
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- Fights Dandruff Naturally
Pollution is one of the main factors that could cause dandruff and the other factor is unhealthy diet. Bitter melon is excellent solution to fight dandruff by nourishing your scalp naturally to promote healthier hair growth.
- Solution to Hair Loss and Split Ends
Hair loss is likely problems that face by most men and believe it or not the solution to this problem is really easy just by adding bitter melon to the daily diet.
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Cautions of Bitter Melon
Bitter melon is not only great for your health but also has been used as natural solution to healthy skin and hair. In other words, bitter melon could be considered as one of the beauty secrets that Asian people have known for all this years. However, still no matter how many benefits you could get from bitter melon, there are some cautions you should aware as well.
- No matter how healthy bitter melon could be, don’t consume it in high dosage because could cause some troubles like abdominal pains.
- Though bitter melon contains relatively high amount of folate or vitamin B9, pregnant women should avoid consuming it because it could lead to premature labor.
- If you are currently in certain medication, consuming bitter melon with medical purpose should be discussed with your doctor first.
- Allergic reaction still occur especially you who are allergic to fruits like cucumber or squash should aware of the possibility of allergic reaction.
- Since bitter melon is consumed along with its skin is better for you to only buy organic bitter melon only to prevent yourself from direct exposure of dangerous chemical compounds during the cultivation process.
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Bitter melon is popular culinary among Asian people, mostly cooked with coconut oil or just stir fried. In some countries with less bitter variety of bitter melon, this fruit is used as the mix of vegetable salad. That’s why most people are mistaken bitter melon as vegetable instead of fruit because it is used in vegetable salad and not in fruit salad.
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