Fortunately, there are bitter melon capsules for the rest of us, taking the bitter out and keeping the benefits in.
Bitter melon is very low in calories, carrying just 17 calories per 100 g.
But its pods are rich sources of dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants.
Bitter melon notably contains phyto-nutrient, polypeptide-P, a plant insulin known to lower blood sugar levels.
In addition, it composes hypoglycemic agent called charantin. Charantin increases glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis inside the cells of liver, muscle and adipose tissue.
Together, these compounds may have been thought to be responsible for blood sugar levels reduction in the treatment of type-2 diabetes.
Bitter melon is an excellent source of vitamin-C (100 g of raw pod provides 84 mg or about 140% of RDI). Vitamin-C is one of the powerful natural antioxidants which helps scavenge deleterious free radicals from the human body.
It is also an excellent source of flavonoids such as ß-carotene, a-carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin.
It also contains a good amount of vitamin-A.
Together, these compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging, cancers and various disease processes.
Bitter melon stimulates easy digestion and peristalsis of food through the bowel until it is excreted from the body.
Thus, it helps in relieving indigestion and constipation problems.
In addition, it is a moderate source of B-complex vitamins such as niacin (vitamin B-3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium, manganese and magnesium.
Ingredients
- 2 pcs Bitter gourd
- 2 pcs Red apple
- 1 pc Cucumber
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 4 pcs ice cubes
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Cut the skin from the bitter gourd and wash the gourd under cold running water.
- Scoop out the seeds and white flesh from the bitter gourd with a spoon, leaving the green outer section. Cut it into cubes.
- Soak the cubes for few minutes in a bowl of water with salt or juice from half a lemon.
- Add the bitter gourd to a blender. Pour water, apple, cucumber and lemon into the juicer or blender.
- Strain the juice to remove any solid pieces and blend it again with ice cubes, serve it cool.
