Benefits of bitter melon and liver detoxification effects

1. How is bitter melon commonly used?

According to the book Vietnamese Medicinal Plants and Herbs by Professor, Doctor Do Tat Loi, bitter melon is also called bitter melon, cam le chi, lai bo dao, hong co nuong, luong qua, muu lo, chua hao (Muong - Thanh Hoa ). Bitter melon is grown in many places, throughout the regions of our country. Bitter melon is processed into dishes such as tea, soup, stir-fry, boiled.

According to multidisciplinary physician Bui Dac Sang ( Hanoi Oriental Medicine Association), in Oriental medicine, bitter melon has a bitter taste and cool properties, and has the effect of cooling, eliminating phlegm, brightening eyes, cooling blood, laxative, moistening the spleen, nourishing the kidneys, nourishing the liver and blood, diuretic, eliminating heat toxins, and fighting fatigue.

Not only a food, a medicine in traditional Vietnamese medicine, bitter melon is also used quite commonly in many countries around the world . As a rich source of antioxidants, flavonoids and other polyphenol compounds, bitter melon can help reduce the risk of some health problems.

Bitter melon is used quite commonly in many countries around the world.

This fruit has been used medicinally in many countries such as India, Indonesia, Türkiye, Japan. In Turkish folk medicine, bitter melon is known as a stomach-soothing medicine. The Turks have used bitter melon for hundreds of years to soothe ulcers, constipation, water retention, bloating, etc.

In India, bitter melon is considered one of the most important plants for Ayurvedic “ethnic medicine practices”. Bitter melon is used to help balance hormones, control symptoms of diabetes, relieve digestive disorders, treat skin disorders or wounds, and is also a natural laxative to treat constipation.

Bitter melon is also famous for its natural cough suppressant and protection against respiratory diseases. Today, bitter melon is still widely used as a vegetable in daily cooking in our country and some other countries in Asia.

2. Health benefits of bitter melon

Bitter melon is a fruit that almost everyone who tries it for the first time finds it very bitter and difficult to eat, but this fruit has many health benefits.

Many cultures around the world incorporate bitter melon into their diets because of its ability to help lower blood sugar levels. Bitter melon helps the body's cells use glucose and move it out of the blood into the liver, muscles, and fat.

Bitter melon helps reduce blood sugar levels

Bitter melon contains bioactive compounds called saponins and terpenoids. These compounds are responsible for the bitter taste of the fruit but may also play a role in lowering blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

Although bitter melon has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat diabetes or any other medical condition in the United States, bitter melon extract is actually available over-the-counter as a dietary supplement in many forms including liquids, powders, and tablets.

Bitter melon contains polyphenols that have anti-inflammatory effects.

Bitter melon is rich in polyphenols, compounds known to reduce inflammation in the body. The more of these compounds, the greater the anti-inflammatory effect.

Boost metabolism

Many people also use bitter melon to lose weight. Bitter melon has been shown to inhibit the formation and growth of fat cells and prevent fat cells from storing fat. It also increases metabolism but you have to monitor how you feel when eating.

May improve digestive health and detoxify the liver

Many nutritionists also believe that the liver will be very “happy” when we eat bitter melon. In fact, the natural bitterness of bitter melon makes many people uncomfortable, but remember that most bitter foods are very good for the liver. Not only do they detoxify the liver (along with the lungs, spleen and heart), but they also contain compounds that are very beneficial to the liver. The saponins and terpenoids in bitter melon can help move glucose from the blood to the cells and help your liver and muscles process and store glucose better.

For example, bitter melon helps the liver reduce LDL cholesterol as well as triglycerides.

Documents also say that eating bitter melon can bring healthy, bright skin thanks to its liver detoxifying effects...

Research conducted at Annamalai University in India found that bitter melon extract increased the levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase, which helps improve liver detoxification and prevent liver damage.

However, Ayurvedic expert Vaidya Mishra always warns people against the bitter gourd juice fad, as he believes that anything that is meant to detoxify the liver should be cooked in fat – ghee is best and olive oil is the second best fat to use. By cooking bitter gourd (or any food) in fat, the fat is more easily absorbed into the cells for optimal absorption.

Bitter melon should be cooked with olive oil.

3. Nutrition per serving

One fresh bitter melon contains:

-Calories: 21

-Protein: 1 gram

-Fat: 0 grams

-Carbohydrates: 5 grams

-Fiber: 3 grams

-Sugar: 0 grams

-Cholesterol: 0 milligrams

-Sodium: 6 milligrams

Bitter melon is also rich in several important antioxidants. In fact, half a cup of fresh bitter melon provides about 43% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. The younger the fruit, the more vitamin C it contains. Raw bitter melon is rich in several vitamins and minerals:

-Vitamin A

-Vitamin C

-Calcium

-Iron

-Thiamine (B1)

-Riboflavin (B2)

-Niacin (B3)

-Folate (B9)

-Potassium

-Zinc

-Phosphorus

-Magnesium

You can steam, boil, stir-fry, braise, pickle, stuff or curry bitter melon to have many delicious and nutritious dishes. In addition to stir-frying eggs, stir-frying meat, stuffing steamed meat, cooking bitter melon soup with meat and fish, you can also make fresh salad with mango, tomato and grilled bitter melon. Or stuff bitter melon with minced meat, vermicelli and spices and cook with broth. Cook bitter melon with shrimp in coconut milk and spices...

4. Notes when eating bitter melon to detoxify the liver

If you plan to consume bitter melon regularly for health benefits, you should consult your doctor or nutritionist, as people with underlying health problems or who are taking certain medications may have reduced effectiveness or even become unsafe to consume. For example, bitter melon can interfere with insulin and diabetes medications.

Because of the powerful blood sugar lowering properties of bitter melon, some people may begin to experience symptoms of low blood sugar, such as dizziness, fainting, or nausea, so consider eating bitter melon 2-3 times a week.

In addition, according to Master, Doctor Nguyen Quang Duong, Tue Tinh Hospital, it is necessary to pay attention to the following taboos: People with weak spleen and stomach, eating bitter melon will cause diarrhea, stomachache (according to Tran Nam Ban Thao). Because bitter melon is bitter and cold, people with cold should not eat it, because eating it will make them weaker and more tired.

Source SKDS

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