Did you know, bitter gourd is actually a fruit and not a vegetable?
It is also known as bitter melon or bitter squash. True to its name, it is said to have a very bitter taste. Regardless of its unpleasant taste, it is admired for its medicinal properties.
Bitter gourd is a powerhouse of essential vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and electrolytes. It contains Vitamin A, C, and B (B1, B2), calcium, magnesium, Zinc, iron, and Phosphorous, which imparts amazing health benefits, especially those associated with diabetes. There are a number of ways in which bitter gourd may be able to help with diabetes.
Diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in India. Mostly, it’s due to genetics but also can be caused by improper habits and our lifestyle.
It is a condition where the body either cannot produce insulin or cannot use the right amount of insulin that it produces. This can lead to other serious health problems like an increase in blood sugar levels in the body; increase in the risk of damage to blood vessels, organs, and nerves.
Fortunately, one food that has been found to be beneficial for diabetes is bitter gourd. Let’s discuss the benefits of bitter gourd for diabetes, which makes it effective and how to make it.
Bitter gourd is effective in facilitating glucose throughout the body. It also helps in lowering blood glucose levels. This is because bitter gourd contains two important compounds known as charatin and momordicin, both of which can play an important role in lowering blood sugar levels.
It can also be effective in the treatment of type 1 diabetes which is generally caused by the failure of insulin secretion by the pancreas. Polypeptide P, an insulin-like molecule found in bitter gourd helps lower blood sugar levels in type 1 diabetics.
High-level sugar concentration in blood leads to an increase in the risk of type1 and type2 diabetes and can affect blood vessels and organs, therefore antioxidant properties in bitter gourd help prevent lower blood sugar levels.
Consume bitter gourd each morning on an empty stomach before breakfast. You could either have it raw or you can have it in the form of juice. Most prefer juice because you can add flavors which will minimize the bitterness.
Grind them in a juicer or mixer and extract the juice. You can either drink the juice as such or add some lemon juice, turmeric, and salt.
Please note, discuss with your doctor if you are experiencing diabetes or prediabetes symptoms for further treatment.
