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Confused with the name? More commonly bitter gourd in
hindi is known as “Karela”. This vegetable is called as Bitter Gourd,
Bitter Melon and Bitter Squash in english. First thing that comes to my
mind seeing it is the bitterness in the name. They are dark or light
green in colour depending on the region where they are grown. Though
they taste very bitter, they are filled with many beneficial
antioxidants and essential vitamins.
Bitter melon can be consumed in various ways like drinking its juice,
pickle or using them in recipes.
Let us quickly look at some of the most well known health benefits of
Bitter Gourd:
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1. Respiratory disorders:
Fresh pods are an excellent remedy for curing respiratory problems like
asthma, cold. Cough, etc.
2. Liver tonic:
Drink one glass of Bitter Melon juice daily to heal liver problems. Keep
consuming this continuously for a week to see results.
3. Immune system:
Boil bitter melon leaves or fruits in water and consume it every day to
fight against infections. This also helps to build your immunity.
4. Acne:
Consuming Bitter Melon can help to get rid of acne, blemishes and deep
skin infections. Bitter melon is useful in treating blood disorders like
blood boils, scabies, itching, psoriasis, ring-worm and other fungal
diseases. The free radicals in it are also useful for anti ageing.
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Consume juice of bitter melon mixed with lemon on an empty stomach daily
for 6 months or till you get the required results.
5. Diabetes:
Bitter melon juice is the most common remedy to overcome type 2
diabetes. It has been a part of the chinese and Indian ancient medicine
for a long time but only recent research has proven that it is no folk
lore. Type 2 diabetes is caused partially due to the inability of a cell
to absorb the sugar in the blood due to insufficient insulin or due
development of resistance to insulin. In both cases, the cells are
unable to absorb the sugar due to the ineffectiveness of insulin
produced. The absorption of sugar occurs due to the activation of
AMP-activated protein kinase in the cells. Bitter gourd activated these
kinases due to which the absorption of sugar increases. And hence aids
in bringing diabetes in control.
Green juice for diabetics: cucumbers, green apples, bitter melon,
celery, ½ green capsicum (bell pepper). Bitter melon contains certain
chemicals that are like insulin which help to reduce blood sugar levels.
6. Constipation:
Bitter melon helps in easy digestion as it contains fibre properties.
The food is digested and waste is thrown out of the body which helps in
curing indigestion and constipation problems.
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7. Kidney and bladder:
Bitter melon helps to maintain healthy liver and bladder. It is also
useful in curing kidney stones.
8. Heart disease:
Bitter melon is very good for the heart in many ways. They help to
reduce the bad cholesterol levels which clog the arterial walls and
thereby reduce the chances of heart attacks. Also it is known to lower
blood sugar levels that help in maintaining good heart health.
9. Cancer:
Bitter Melon can prevent cancer cells from multiplying.
10. Weight loss:
Bitter Melon contains antioxidants, which help to flush out your system.
This improves your metabolism and digestive systems thus helping you
lose weight quickly.The two other major factors that aid in weight loss
is the calorie control and filling components. Calorie control happens
as such because vegetables are low on calories which allows you to
consume more quantities of them. Filling component in this vegetable is
water. We know that water is a universal suppressant of hunger. And the
pods of this vegetable contain on the whole 80-85% water.
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