Don't like bitter gourd? You're missing out on these benefits
Bitter gourd, also called karela in Hindi, is a highly nutritious vegetable. Packed with healthy and essential nutrients, bitter gourd can be consumed in the form of juice, fried chips, pickles and more. Even if you loathed eating it as a kid, including this vegetable in your regular diet can bring a bunch of important health benefits to your body.
It lowers blood sugar levels
Several recent studies have confirmed bitter gourd's positive effects on blood sugar level, which makes it a great food for diabetics. The vegetable acts as a hypoglycemic agent because it contains a rich amount of soluble fiber and is low in glycemic index. This helps in lowering the blood sugar level. Consumption of bitter gourd is especially recommended for Type-2 diabetes patients.
Has high fiber quantity that can aid in weight loss
If you are on a weight loss journey, bitter gourd is the perfect addition to your diet because it is low in calories, yet has high quantities of fiber. A good amount of fiber in any food item means it will keep you full for a longer time and reduce your hunger. Additionally, some research has also shown bitter gourd's potential fat burning abilities.
Contains powerful antioxidants that protect your cells from damage
Catechin, Gallic acid, Epicatechin, and Chlorogenic acid are the powerful antioxidants present in bitter gourd that protect your cells from damage. They also help in multiplication of the immune cells and white blood cells, which can strengthen your immune system against diseases and allergies. This vegetable is rich in Vitamin C, an important micronutrient which helps in disease prevention, bone formation, and wound healing.
Its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties purify the body
The antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of bitter gourd aid the removal of toxins from your liver, blood, and even your bladder. It removes all kinds of intoxicants from your liver and improves its functioning to avoid any problems. It has a similar purification effect on blood as well. With these fighting properties and aforementioned fiber content, bitter gourd is also great for gut health.
Bitter gourd can potentially benefit heart health by reducing cholesterol
High cholesterol can increase the chances of heart attack, stroke and other heart related problems. But, bitter gourd has the potential to reduce cholesterol levels. A study on rats, who were on a high-cholesterol diet, observed that bitter gourd extract led to lower cholesterol levels. Since the research is restricted to animal studies, additional studies are required to establish its effect on humans.
