The bitter taste of karela often makes people reluctant to consider it in their daily meals. But do you know that karela juice offers you a plethora of health benefits? It has a traditional history of being effective in various health issues for centuries. If you are preoccupied with living a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a balanced diet, add karela juice to improve your overall health naturally and effectively.
As a vegetable, karela (bitter gourd) needs no introduction. But if you are unaware of the nutritional value and the miraculous health benefits offered by karela juice, a thorough reading will help you know all the relevant information and benefits. Are you excited? Let’s start by knowing the nutritional value!
Karela Juice Nutrition
Karela juice contains essential nutrients, fibre, and antioxidants that help maintain good health. Here are the key nutrients contained in karela juice:
- Vitamins: Karela juice is rich in Vitamin C, K, and A. B1, B2, and B3 vitamins can also be found in the juice, enhancing its nutritional value.
- Fibre: It is also a healthy source of fibre that improves digestive health.
- Minerals: Karela juice is also a good source of calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium minerals.
- Antioxidants: Antioxidants such as lycopene and beta-carotene are found in karela juice, which prevents cell damage by free radicals.
The table given below shows the number of nutrients that you can get by blending 1 cup of raw bitter gourd with ½ cup of filtered water:
|
Calories |
16 |
|
Carbohydrate |
3.4 grams |
|
Fibre |
2.6 grams |
|
Protein |
0.9 grams |
|
Fat |
0.2 grams |
|
Vitamin C |
95% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) |
|
Zinc |
10% of the RDI |
|
Iron |
5% of the RDI |
|
Vitamin A |
4% of RDI |
|
Potassium |
6% of the RDI |
|
Folate |
17% of the RDI |
Therefore, it is quite apparent that adding karela juice to your diet regularly will offer you numerous health benefits, such as boosting your immunity, regulating blood sugar levels, enhancing the functioning of the digestive system, and reducing inflammation, among many more. Read below to know all these in detail and gain information on more benefits!
Top 9 Benefits of Drinking Karela Juice
The presence of a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fibre not only enhances its nutritional profile but also results in its association with Ayurveda and various other non-western traditions of medicine. Below are discussed all the attractive benefits of karela juice for your health. But before moving on to the benefits of karela juice, there are also other natural products that help people to secure a healthy living.
1. Regulates Blood Sugar Levels And Cures Diabetes:
Various researchers have found that karela juice helps regulate blood sugar levels in the body. The three major components, charantin, vicine, and polypeptide-p, are found in karela juice and have been proven to offer positive results in lowering glucose levels.
Especially the component polypeptide-p is associated with the operation of insulin, the hormone that aids in regulating blood sugar levels by initiating the absorption of sugar from the blood to tissues and cells.
On the other hand, vicine and charantin also assist in decreasing the levels of blood sugar. Additionally, several chemicals are present in the karela juice that repairs the pancreas cells, the organ which releases insulin in the body.
2. Improves Hair And Skin Health
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As karela juice contains Vitamins A and C, and antioxidants, it enhances skin and hair health. It cures any skin issues and tackles acne. Therefore it is also associated with anti-ageing features.
Karela juice can also cure several skin illnesses, including psoriasis, ringworm and itching. Thus it boosts hair health by adding shine and preventing hair loss, split ends, and dandruff. If you want to improve your hair further, you can also consider applying heena. You can know more about henna.
3. Heals Injuries
Because of its anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects, it enhances coagulation and blood flow in the body. With decreased blood flow, the body can heal wounds faster, reducing the chance of infections
4. Acts As An Amazing Liver Detoxifier
Bitter gourd juice or karela juice is also considered an effective liver detoxifier for its high content of phytonutrients and antioxidants that boost liver function and assist in detoxification.
These antioxidants prevent the liver cells from being damaged over time.
Moreover, bitter gourd juice contains certain compounds that trigger the liver to produce bile and enzymes that detoxify the entire body. Reducing inflammation increases the blood flow in the liver, thereby enhancing the functioning of the liver.
Not only does it enhances liver function, but it also eliminates toxins and other harmful substances such as drugs, alcohol and other pollutants from the environment. Since karela juice regulates the blood sugar level, it maintains liver health, as higher blood sugar levels cause liver deterioration over time.
5. Helps In Fighting Cancer
Regular intake of karela juice is also known for strengthening the immune system and preventing infections and allergies. One of the essential aspects is that it assists in fighting cancer by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells and preventing tumour development. Therefore daily intake of bitter gourd juice proves beneficial for reducing the risk of colon, prostate, and breast cancer.
6. Improves Heart Health
Maintaining good heart health is an essential aspect of keeping overall good health. Do you know that bitter gourd helps lowering bad cholesterol or LDL? Yes, you heard it right! Therefore it is quite apparent that it reduces the chance of having a heart attack. Additionally, the presence of fibre also assists in clearing arteries.
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7. Aids In Weight Control
Are you looking for a morning drink that will assist you in keeping your weight in control? Well, the juice of bitter gourd will prove beneficial for you! It is high in fibre and low in calories, which impedes the development of adipose cells responsible for fat storage in the body. The antioxidants in bitter gourd cleanse the body and enhance metabolism, eventually resulting in fat loss.
Also read:
8. Purifies Blood
Because of the high concentration of antioxidants, it can treat various diseases linked with tainted blood. Intake of bitter gourd juice regularly also enhances blood circulation in the body, leading to improved hair and skin health.
As most skin problems stem from impurities in the skin, bitter gourd juice can become a solution in the long run.
9. Effective For The Eyes
You must have learnt by now that karela juice is rich in Vitamin A, known for improving vision and preventing cataracts. It also assists in brightening dark circles and provides you with clean and healthy eyes.
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How To Make Juice From Bitter Gourd?
After learning about all the benefits, you must be confused regarding how to prepare karela juice. You need not worry; we have you covered with an A-Z guide.
For making Karela juice, you need not require any specific kitchen skills. A raw bitter melon, a juicer or a blender and water are all you require. It would be best if you avoid selecting a riper bitter melon and select a big one. This will help you to prevent the harsh flavour that people generally hate.
For a better taste, let the bitter gourd soak in water and add some lemon juice before blending it.
Ingredients You Need
- One karela or bitter melon
- A form of juice or plain water
- Lemon juice, honey or a pinch of salt.
Directions For making Bitter Gourd Juice:
-
Wash the Krela with cold water.
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As there’s no need to peel karela, you only need to slice it off on a cutting board.
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Discard all the seeds using a spoon.
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Place the green flesh on the chopping board and chop it into medium pieces.
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Add ½ a cup of water into a blender or the juicer. In place of water, you can also take some other juice you feel comfortable consuming.
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Place all the chopped pieces of bitter melon into the blender and add some drops of lemon juice. For taste, you can also add one tablespoon of honey or a pinch of salt according to the required taste.
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Blend it well until it becomes smooth.
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Filter the fruit chunks by pouring them over a strainer. Drink immediately or let it chill for some time before consuming.
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You can also use a juicer for making karela juice instead of a blender.
Ingredients That You Can Blend With karela Juice
- Cucumber
- Green apple
- Ginger
- Strawberries
- Pineapple
Things To Keep In Mind Before Considering The Intake Of Karela Juice
Most people tend to find the bitter taste of karela juice nauseating. Also, it is important to consider the intake of karela juice to a certain amount, as excess intake might lead to adverse effects such as diarrhoea, stomach pain, or other forms of trouble in the stomach.
Although entertaining a plethora of benefits, it is not recommended for everyone, especially people under specific medications. Therefore, several preventive measures must be considered to ensure the utmost safety. Here are some tips that can help you stay safe:
- People having diabetes must consult their healthcare professional because of its effect on blood sugar levels.
- If one is under some course of medication, it would be best to take suggestions from a healthcare professional before starting a systematised intake of karela juice.
- The bitter gourd might have an impact on the endocrine system that is responsible for the regulation of reproduction and hormones.
Therefore to summarise, karela juice is safe for people who consider its consumption in moderation. But people having diabetes, or is under some medication or pregnant, or breastfeeding must not consider their intake without consulting with the respective health care professional.
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Zandu Karela Capsules: One-Stop Solution To Enhance Your Health
Having engaged in a busy schedule, it might become extremely difficult for you to indulge in the making of karela juice. Zandu care provides a good supplement that will provide all the health benefits and boost immunity. These capsules contain the real benefits of karela and will be a good addition to your everyday diet.
Conclusion
To conclude, karela juice entertains many benefits that make it preferable among extremely health-conscious people. Since it is a natural product, it doesn’t cause any harmful side effects. But if you have any special medical condition, it would be best to consult a healthcare professional to be safe.
