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Do You Know These 11 Miraculous Benefits of Karela (Bitter Gourd)?

Karela is one of the healthiest vegetables in the food kingdom. It is full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It can be eaten as a vegetable, a pickle or as a juice. There are many benefits of regular consumption of bitter gourd.

Nutritional Value of Karela

In my opinion, karela with a bit of a tangy taste, might actually benefit the immune cells. It’s true! It may help calm down inflammation and act as an immunomodulator, which is like being a saviour for your immune response.

Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

1. Good for Diabetics

Bitter gourd has a compound that functions similar to insulin. In fact, ‘Karela and diabetes’ are often coined together! It reduces the blood glucose levels in both type I and type II diabetes. Consuming a glass of karela juice is so effective that diabetes patients need to reduce the dosage of their medicines. In fact, it can also help manage gestational diabetes. What is gestational diabetes? It is a type of diabetes that is first detected in pregnant women who did not have diabetes before they were pregnant. Bitter gourd can certainly be included in the Diet for Gestational Diabetes.  

2. Good for the Skin and Hair

Based on my observations, karela has two tasty options: young shoots and not-quite-ripe fruits. The fruits are bitter, but you may make them less bitter by blanching or soaking them in salty water. Inside the yellow fruits, you find a treasure trove of good stuff like carotenoids, iron, phosphorous, and vitamin C.

Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS

Karela is rich in antioxidants and vitamins A and C, which are good for the skin. It reduces ageing and fights acne and skin blemishes. It is useful in treating various skin infections like ringworm, psoriasis, and itching. Karela juice adds lustre to the hair and combats dandruff, hair loss, and split-ends.

Also Read: 7 Home Remedies for Glowing Skin

3. Liver Cleanser

Bitter gourd is liver friendly and detoxifies. It boosts liver enzymes and is a good cure for a hangover as it reduces alcohol deposits on the liver. The bladder and the gut also benefit from consuming karela.

From what I have know and read, karela is a versatile plant that can be included in our diet for better health! It is not only tasty but also may have medicinal benefits. It might keep worms away, relieve pain, help with haemorrhoids, and even soothe rashes.

Dr. Smita Barode, B.A.M.S, M.S. 

4. Good for Digestion

Karela is full of fibre and helps improve bowel movement. It relieves constipation and settles the stomach.

5. Improves Cardiac Health

I came across a fascinating study that revealed something amazing about karela. According to the study, karela extract may have the power to speed up the healing process of gastric ulcers in rats. However, it’s important to note that studies on humans are needed to confirm these exciting claims.

Dr. Anuja Bodhare, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

Bitter gourd reduces LDL (bad cholesterol) and decreases the risk of suffering a heart attack. The fibre also helps to unclog the arteries.

6. Combats Cancer

Karela boosts immunity and prevents allergies and infections. But its most significant benefit is that it fights cancer. It works against cancer cells proliferation and stops tumour formation. The risk of breast, colon and prostate cancer is significantly reduced after regular consumption of bitter gourd.

7. Weight Management

Karela aids in weight loss as it is low in calories and fibre-rich. It stops the formation and growth of adipose cells, the ones that store fat in the body. It improves metabolism, and the antioxidants help detoxify the body leading to the reduction in fat.

karela health benefits

8. Heals Wounds

Karela has great healing properties. It controls the blood flow and blood clotting that helps in quicker healing of wounds and reduction in infections.

9. Blood Purifier

Karela has a high amount of antioxidants, and this helps it to cure many problems related to corrupted blood. Regular consumption of bitter gourd leads to improvement in skin, hair and cancer problems. Also, it helps to improve blood circulation.

10. Energises the Body

The body’s stamina and energy levels show remarkable improvement after regularly consuming karela. It even helps improve sleep quality and reduces sleep problems like insomnia.

Also Read: 9 Energy Giving Foods to Add to Your Diet

11. Benefits the Eyes

Karela is rich in vitamin A and prevent cataract and strengthens vision. It even lightens dark circles.   Also, read 10 foods that are good for eye health.

Moderate your karela consumption to ward off diarrhoea and stomach ache.   Also, pregnant women should avoid consuming karela as it leads to uterine contractions.

Some Precautions To Take

Ways in which Karela can be consumed?

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