Bitter gourd is a tropical vegetable, which is cultivated mainly in the Asian and African countries. It is also known by the name of ‘Karela’ and has a rough, warty skin. As the name suggests, the vegetable is bitter in taste and has a skin that is dark green in color. Bitter gourd has been found to have great medicinal value. In fact, it is said to have antidotal, antipyretic tonic, appetizing, stomachic, antibilious and laxative properties. This is the main reason why the vegetable is used in a number of native medicines of Asia and Africa. Given below is information of the health benefits and nutritional value of bitter gourd.
Nutritional Value of Bitter Gourd
100 grams of bitter gourd comprises of the following nutrients:
- Calcium - 19 mg
- Copper - 0.034 mg
- Dietary Fiber - 3 g
- Dietary Folate Equivalents - 72 mcg
- Folate - 72 mcg
- Food Folate - 5.6 mcg
- Iron - 0.43 mg
- Magnesium - 17 mg
- Manganese - 0.089 mg
- Pantothenic Acid - 0.212 mcg
- Phosphorus - 31 mg
- Potassium - 296 mg
- Protein - 1 g
- Selenium - 0.2 mcg
- Sodium - 5 mg
- Sodium - 5 mg
- Total Carbohydrates - 4 g
- Zinc - 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Calcium
- Total Fat - 0g
- Saturated Fat - 0g
- Cholesterol - 0 mg
- Folic Acid - 0 mcg
- Sugars - 0 g
Nutrition Benefits of Eating Bitter Gourd
- Bitter gourd has been associated with lowering sugar levels in people suffering from diabetes.
- Bitter gourd is said to be helpful in fighting against cancer and a number of infections.
- Bitter gourd has been known to provide relief from constipation and is also effective in the treatment of psoriasis.
- Bitter gourd helps in improving circulation and in turn, generates slimming effects on the body.
- Regular consumption of bitter gourd has been associated with prevention as well as treatment of hypertension.
- Bitter gourd is believed to be helpful in preventing eye complications, apart from treating neuritis.
- The juice of the leaf of bitter gourd plant has been found to be beneficial in the treatment of alcoholism.
- The essential vitamins and minerals present in bitter gourd help in treating defective metabolism of carbohydrates.
- The bitter tonic properties of bitter gourd have made it effective as a blood purifier.
- Fresh juice of bitter gourd is good for patients suffering from piles.
