From Weight Loss To Soothing Acne, Here Are The Health Benefits Of Bitter Melon

Healthy food options that work on the body from within are the ones that can actually help you lose weight in a good manner and bitter melon is one such item. Including this in your diet is perfect when you are looking forward to shedding a few pounds.

Why Should You Include Bitter Melon In Your Diet?

Technically a gourd, bitter melon comes with ample health benefits that include weight loss as well. Bitter melons, also known as bitter gourds, are not an all-time favorite for many. Its bitter taste makes many spit it out when eaten for the first time. However, if overall wellness is on your mind, you should try to get past its taste and seriously consider including this bitter vegetable in your diet on a frequent basis.

Health Benefits Of Bitter Melon

• Filled with vitamin C, bitter melon is great to boost up your immune system. This vegetable also has antiviral properties which stimulates the immune cells and assists in fighting off infections and other external harmful attackers. It works constantly towards improving your immune system. With anti-inflammatory properties, bitter melons also improve the health condition of the stomach and intestines.

• The health of the digestive system stays good when bitter melons are a part of your diet. This is so because bitter melons are a great source of fiber. To prevent constipation and dyspepsia, ensure that you have a good intake of bitter melons. It helps in removing toxins from your body and also kills infectious bacteria in the stomach.

• Bitter melons lower cholesterol levels and decrease the chances of heart attack and other cardiac conditions.

• Being extremely low in calories, one bowl of it can make you feel satiated without the consumption of too many calories. It stimulates the liver, making it secrete enough bile that helps your body's ability to metabolize and in turn break down the fats.

• Bitter melon contains polypeptides and vicine that are helpful in the treatment of diabetes. Blood sugar levels are kept under control as polypeptide has the ability to mimic insulin. Glucose levels are also lowered in the blood, as vicine shows a hypoglycaemic effect.

• Bitter melons are a great reliever for people with kidney stones. Acids are kept at low levels with the intake of bitter melons. Acids being the prime reason for the causation of kidney stones. This also helps in the breakdown of the stones, hence reducing the pain when it passes.

• Bitter melons improve optical health, as it is rich in vitamin A and beta-carotene.

• Researchers have found that bitter melons are helpful in reducing the size of pancreatic tumor.

• With high levels of vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and fiber, bitter melons are extremely helpful in making your skin flawless. It removes toxins and keeps your skin hydrated. It gives a natural glow to your face by reducing redness and soothing acne.

Overcoming The Bitter Taste

It's obvious that gulping bitter melons just as it is could be tough on your taste buds. To continue enjoying its health benefits, try to reduce its bitterness and then eat it. You can soak chopped bitter melons in chilled saltwater for a couple of hours before cooking them. This way, the bitterness is reduced to a great extent. Dried bitter melon when added to a cup of mild warm water serves to be a great health drink. Most of the Asian dishes are popular for the effective way of incorporating bitter melons in them. So, the next time you prepare fried rice, you too can add a few slices of bitter melon to it.

Consumption Of Bitter Gourd Juice Is The Best Way To Reduce Weight

This bitter vegetable is capable of preventing your body from absorbing excess sugar. Hence, being one of the best vegetables to be consumed by a diabetic. It is known for lowering and maintaining the blood sugar. With the ability to increase the beta-cells produced in the pancreas, it boosts the production of insulin. With high level of insulin content in the body, the blood sugar level automatically goes down. This in turn leads to weight loss in a healthy manner.

Therefore, if weight loss is on your mind, along with regular exercising, ensure that your weight loss diet involves bitter gourd. The best and quick way to see the benefits of bitter melons is by consuming it in the form of a juice.

Recipes Of Bitter Gourd Juice

If you intend to have a fruit and vegetable mix form of a juice, follow the below-mentioned recipe.

Required:

• Bitter gourd: 1
• Celery: 2 sticks
• Apples: 2 or 3
• Cucumber: 1
• Peeled lemon: 1

Preparation:

Cut the bitter gourd into two, long-ways. Remove all the seeds. Chop the remaining fruits and vegetables. Use a blender to blend them along with the bitter melon. If it is still bitter, you can add more fruits as you like.

If you intend to have a bitter gourd only juice, then prepare it as follows.

The only ingredient used here is bitter gourd and it is the best to lose weight.

Preparation:

• Peel off a bitter gourd, using a knife and not a peeler. Use cold running water to wash the vegetable. Use a cutting board and slice the bitter gourd at the center.
• Take out the seeds and the white flesh.
• Cut the vegetable into tiny pieces and put them in a bowl of water. Let it soak for thirty minutes.
• To this water, add half a teaspoon of salt or lemon juice.
• Take out the soaked bitter gourd pieces and add it to a juicer. To make the bitterness go down, you can consider adding lemon or apple juice. A bit of honey or black pepper can also reduce the bitterness.
• Blend them in the juicer and your juice is ready. Remember that you should filter out the vegetable pieces using a strainer. You can store the juice in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 hours and then drink it chilled.