Weight loss, diabetes management, clear skin - Here is why you should include bitter melon/ gourd/ karela in your diet
A healthy diet plays a very important role in keeping us healthy and happy. A diet that includes all food groups in the right quantities, and provides for all the nutrients required by the body can help in better development, improved immunity, and reduced risk of diseases. Fruits and vegetables are an important food group for a balanced diet. However, some vegetables, especially the green ones, are rather infamous for their taste, and do not make an appearance in the diet of majority people.
Bitter melon is one such vegetable. For the uninitiated, bitter melon is the English name for Karela, a vegetable that has become synonymous with a bitter flavour that most people do not enjoy. However, the vegetable has immense health benefits that make it perfect to be a part of your diet. Read on to know how bitter melon can help you stay healthy and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
Health benefits of bitter melon/ karela
1.Helps in weight loss – With rising obesity and the risk that it comes with, it becomes extremely important to watch your weight. Along with a regular healthy diet, you must include foods that aid in weight loss, bitter melon being one of them. Rich in fibre, it helps to fill you up, and reduce hunger pangs. Bitter melon can be blended along with other vegetables to make a high-fibre detox drink as well.
2. Diabetes management – Type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic levels around the world, and the diet you follow can not only help reduce your risk of the disease, but can also help in its management if you happen to have high blood sugar. Bitter gourd, with a low glycemic index and high fibre-content, is a perfect vegetable to add to a diabetic's diet. Some initial studies also show that the vegetable can help in diabetes treatment.
3. Reduce skin troubles – If you have been experiencing excessive breakouts or dull skin, you may need to detox your body and skin, which can be easily done with bitter melon. Bitter melon is rich in nutrients such as vitamin C, and various other antioxidants. It can, therefore, act as a blood purifier and keep risk of skin issues at bay.
4. Improves immunity – Since bitter gourd or bitter melon is rich in vitamin C, which is the king of nutrients when it comes to immunity, consuming bitter gourd can help strengthen your body's first line of defense against pathogens and keep you healthy and fit.
5. Healthy for the heart – Bitter melon can also help
people who have high cholesterol issues, as it has properties which help
reduce cholesterol levels. This helps to keep the heart healthy, reduce
blood pressure, and minimise the risk of heart attacks and strokes.