Bitter melon, also known as bitter squash or bitter gourd, is a vine growing vegetable found in subtropical areas of the world such as Asia and in Africa. It is common in Chinese, Indian, and South East Asian cuisine, and has been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years.
A prime example of “why are healthy foods difficult to eat?”, bitter melon has a distinct bitter taste that’s difficult to ignore. However, its bitterness masks just how healthy this vegetable is.
Although it may be initially hard to swallow, the long-term positive effects on your health are worth the effort of introducing the vegetable to your diet.
Here are 10 health benefits to convince you to try eating bitter melon:
1. Helps in the Management of Diabetes
Bitter melon is fairly well known for its anti-diabetic properties. It contains charantin, vicine and polypeptide-p, which are known for their hypoglycemic properties. One study found that consuming bitter melon had a modest hypoglycemic effect in patients with type 2 diabetes.
2. Supplement to Cancer Prevention and Treatment
Over 100 types of cancer affect humans, with around 2 million estimated new cases in 2017.
One study found that bitter melon extract could significantly reduce the growth and multiplication of breast cancer cells. In addition, the extract also caused cancer cell death.
3. Contains Antioxidant Properties
Another benefit of eating bitter melon is that it has antioxidant properties. One study found that the extracts of one variety of bitter melon had significant antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities. Hence, eating bitter melon can help prevent the damage that free radicals can do to your body.
4. Immunobooster
In addition to having antioxidant properties, eating bitter melon can help boost one’s immune system. When eaten raw, it is a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and manganese. These vitamins and minerals help in improving overall health and in preventing sickness.
5. Can Help Lower High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a condition that can lead to many other health complications, such as heart attack, stroke, or heart failure. In an experiment conducted in rats, bitter melon extracts were shown to help lower elevated blood pressure.
6. Helps Improve Digestion
Aside from helping in disease prevention, bitter melon can help improve digestion as well. This is because of its high water and fiber content. In fact, one cup of bitter melon contains about 10% of your daily value of dietary fiber. Including bitter melon regularly in your diet could help aid in digestion and maintain healthy bowel movements.
7. Management of HIV/AIDS
According to one study, a plant protein found in bitter melon (MAP30) was found to act against stages of the viral cycle of HIV by interfering with the initial infection of the virus and how it replicates within infected cells.
Although this is far from a cure, more studies are being conducted to explore if eating bitter melon can help slow the progress of the virus in a person’s body.
8. Helps in the Healing of Wounds
Bitter melon has shown uses for health even outside of being eaten as part of one’s diet. A study showed that ointment made with the dried powder from the fruit had a significant effect on wound healing, with results being comparable to iodine.
9. Helps Prevent Liver Disease
Eating bitter melon can also help keep your liver healthy. A study conducted on rats showed that bitter melon could help lower triglyceride levels in the liver. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood, and high levels can increase your chances of having fatty liver disease, permanent liver damage, and cirrhosis.
10. Appetite Suppression
Bitter melon contains lectin, which aside from reducing blood glucose concentrations, also acts as an appetite suppressant. If you are having difficulty maintaining a healthy weight or are combating obesity, eating bitter melon can help in managing your appetite and your caloric intake.
Beyond Its Bitterness
Bitter melon may be hard on the taste buds, but makes up for it in all the health benefits it can provide. Try introducing bitter melon to your diet so you can live a longer and healthier life. Always consult with your doctor first, especially if you have existing conditions (e.g. prediabetes, diabetes) or are pregnant.
Sources (not linked above):
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-795-bitter%20melon.aspx?activeingredientid=795&
https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/bitter-melon
http://www.pinoyrecipe.net/top-10-health-bnefits-of-ampalaya-or-bitter-gourd/
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2017/01/24/7-health-benefits-of-bitter-melon-for-health-immunity/
https://ampalayaplus.com/everything-ampalaya-best-herb-diabetes/
https://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/High-Blood-Pressure-or-Hypertension_UCM_002020_SubHomePage.jsp
