If you want to know about Bitter Gourd, in this article, you will get all the crucial information about the nutrition facts of Bitter Gourd. Bitter gourd (balsam pear/bitter melon) is a young, fragile, edible fruit pod found on climbing vines belonging to the Momordica plant. Although its bitter taste may turn some people off, the disease-preventing and health-promoting phytochemical components it contains can sweeten your health.
Balsam pears are members of the Cucurbitaceae family of the genus Momordica and are related to squash, watermelon, cantaloupes, cucumber, and other members of the Cucurbitaceae family. Bitter gourd is a green-skinned vegetable with white to translucent flesh and a bitter flavor. It might take some time to get used to the bitter taste of bitter gourd unless you grew up eating it regularly.
A variety also knows bitter gourd of other names. Bitter melon, bitter cucumber, balsam pear, bitter apple, and bitter squash are all names. Bitter gourd is a green-skinned vegetable with white to translucent flesh and a spicy flavor. This vegetable is referred to as karela in India. As nigari in Japan. As goya in Okinawa, ampalaya in the Philippines, and ku-gua in China.
It might take some time for you to get used to the bitter taste of bitter gourd if you didn’t grow up eating it. Bitter gourd is a vegetable that goes by a lot of different names. Other characteristics include bitter melon, bitter cucumber, balsam pear, bitter apple, and bitter squash. In India, it’s known as karela, while it’s known as nigari in Japan. And in Okinawa, it’s known as goya; in the Philippines, it’s known as ampalaya; and in China, it’s known as Ku-Gua.
Bitter Gourd Nutrition Facts
Note: *Percent daily values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Here’s a table of the nutritional values for 100 grams of bitter gourd:
| Nutrient | Amount per Serving | % Daily Value* |
| Calories | 17 | 1% |
| Total Fat | 0.2 g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat | 0 g | 0% |
| Trans Fat | 0 g | |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 5 mg | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 3.7 g | 1% |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.8 g | 11% |
| Total Sugars | 1 g | |
| Protein | 1 g | 2% |
| Vitamin D | 0 IU | 0% |
| Calcium | 19 mg | 2% |
| Iron | 0.43 mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 296 mg | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 471 IU | 9% |
| Vitamin C | 84 mg | 140% |
| Vitamin E | 0.14 mg | 1% |
| Vitamin K | Four mcg | 5% |
| Folate | 72 mcg | 18% |
As a rich source of antioxidants, flavonoids, and other polyphenol compounds, bitter gourd may help to reduce your risks for several health issues.
Fights Inflammation
Polyphenols abound in bitter gourd. These chemicals are well known for their anti-inflammatory properties. The bigger the number, the stronger the anti-inflammatory benefits may be.
Diabetes Management
Saponins and terpenoids are bioactive substances found in bitter gourd. These molecules are responsible for the bitter taste of the vegetable, but they may also help people with diabetes lower their blood sugar levels.
Bitter gourd’s saponins and terpenoids may assist the transfer of glucose from the bloodstream to the cells and help your liver and muscles process and store glucose more effectively. Bitter gourd’s anti-diabetic properties have been proven in numerous preclinical trials.
It has a hypoglycemic impact because it regulates glucose metabolism and reduces glucose absorption in the intestines while increasing its utilization in the muscles. Bitter gourd extracts protect pancreatic cells from inflammatory cells and chemicals.
Promotes Liver Health
Bitter gourd’s hepatoprotective (liver-friendly) qualities have been demonstrated in preclinical studies on rats. Fatty liver is caused by obesity, diabetes, high-fat diets, and alcohol consumption, and inflammation and free radicals might aggravate such liver damage.
Bitter melon can help to prevent oxidative damage by inhibiting fat formation and lipid peroxidation. Inflammation-induced cell death in the liver is slowed.
It also boosts your body’s antioxidant system, including the enzyme catalase and superoxide dismutase produced in-house. Bitter gourd extracts, in particular, help prevent liver damage caused by prolonged alcohol consumption.
Treats Skin Conditions
This squash family member possesses anti-inflammatory qualities that are second to none. It can treat eczema, rashes, leprosy, psoriasis, wounds, and sores, among other skin problems.
Blisters and injuries are treated using a paste produced from the bitter gourd plant by indigenous African and Asian tribes. Topically The efficacy of skin creams enhanced with bitter melon extracts on wounds was established in rabbit trials.
Wound healing was improved and hastened in rabbits who got this cream treatment. This fruit’s peel has the most significant potential for preventing skin cancer. Bitter gourd extracts increased mice’s quality of life and lifespan in cancer experiments.
Fights Cancer
Anticancer qualities can be found in almost every part of the bitter melon plant. Its extract stops cancer cells from multiplying by inducing programmed cell death (apoptosis). Its seed oil contains biologically active fatty acids that prevent breast and liver cancer cell lines from proliferating.
Bitter melon’s entire fruit and skin extracts have also influenced the fight against colon cancer. In mouse tests, bitter gourd extract was specifically harmful to prostate cancer cells.
In the afflicted tissue, it also modulates the quantities of pro-and anti-inflammatory proteins. Cervical, nasal, pharyngeal, and blood cancers develop and migrate slowly.
Impedes Helminthic Infections
Cestodes, nematodes, and trematodes cause helminthic illnesses (diseases caused by parasitic worms) in people and livestock. Bitter gourd extracts from various regions demonstrated anthelmintic efficacy against adult earthworms.
The most potent nematode killers are saponins, alkaloids, aminoglycosides, and tannins (worms). They can immobilize them as well as disturb their vascular and nervous systems. According to recent studies, Bitter melon phytochemicals are responsible for this activity.
How To Select And Store Bitter Gourd?
Around the seasons, fresh bitter melon pods can be found in the marketplaces. When buying new, bright pods with dark-green surfaces free of blemishes or cuts. Choose sensitive, immature fruit pods that are youthful and tender. Because the stringent level of green pods increases as they mature, they are the least bitter.
Wash and dry bitter gourds gently before storing them in bags. They should last a week when stored in the fridge at 50° F. Fresh bitter gourd can be placed in a plastic zip pouch and preserved in the refrigerator’s vegetable compartment for up to a week at home.
Both bottle and bitter gourd lose moisture wThe bottle, and bitter gourd loses moisture when kept in the refrigerator for too long. The fruit and juice both freeze well. Wrapping them in a wet paper towel or a thin cotton cloth is the easiest way to store them. Alternatively, you can keep them in a porous container with a lid.
How Can You Tell If The Bitter Gourd Is Still Fresh?
The seeds of a bitter young gourd are usually white and pale green. The bitter gourd turns a reddish-orange tint as it ripens and grows, and the seeds turn a vivid orange color. The bitter gourd becomes increasingly painful as it matures.
When bitter melon begins to spoil, it becomes slimy and mushy, and its color fades; discard bitter melon if it has an off odor or appearance. Keep the bitter melon wrapped in a paper towel in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator’s vegetable drawer for 4 to 5 days. Bitter melons do not freeze well.
When Should You Not Eat Bitter Gourd?
If you have diabetes and use blood-sugar-lowering drugs, avoid eating bitter gourd since it may cause your blood sugar to drop too low. Painful gourd consumption before, during, and after surgery may influence blood sugar levels.
So, avoid eating bitter melon at least two weeks before a scheduled surgery. Bitter gourd should be avoided if you have diabetes and are on blood sugar-lowering medication since it can cause your blood sugar to drop too low. Consumption of bitter gourd before, during, and after surgery may affect blood sugar levels. So, stay away from bitter melon for at least two weeks before surgery.
How Much Bitter Gourd Is Safe To Eat?
Bitter gourd is a low-calorie, low-fat, and low-carbohydrate vegetable, and these qualities work together to aid weight loss. Constipation and indigestion can be relieved by eating bitter gourd regularly, and it promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, which aids digestion and nutritional absorption. Throughout the day, drink around 2–3 ounces.
Per day, one little bitter melon is the dosage of a supplement that a doctor recommends. Karela contains many antioxidants, which aid in treating various illnesses associated with tainted blood. Painful gourd eating improves skin, hair, and cancer concerns and aids in the advancement of blood circulation.
Conclusion
In this article, you have learned the nutrition facts of Bitter Gourd. Bitter gourd, known as bitter melon, Momordica charantia, or karela in India, is well-known for its numerous health advantages. Still, it has a negative reputation due to its bitter flavor. Bitter gourd is high in protein, carbs, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, folate, vitamin A, vitamin C, and numerous B vitamins.
It can help you stay healthy in a variety of ways. Furthermore, this vegetable (although technically a fruit) is high in dietary fiber and low in calories. Bitter gourd should not be consumed by pregnant women, though. The following are some of the dangers of eating bitter gourd when pregnant.
