Bitter Gourd or Karela juice is a beverage made from rough-skinned fruit known as bitter melon. It’s a tropical vine that fits into the gourd family and is closely associated with pumpkin, zucchini, squash, and cucumber. It’s been cultivated around the globe for its edible fruit, which is considered exceptionally a staple in many parts of Asian cuisine.
Coming to the variations in size, the Indian variant is narrower and has pointed ends with rough, jagged spikes on the rind. On the other hand, the Chinese variety is typically long, pale green, and covered with wart-like bumps. Karela or bitter gourd is commonly known as Karle in Marathi, Pavakkai in Tamil, Hagal kai in Kannada, Kakara Kayi in Telugu, Kaippakka in Malayalam, Kash in Bengali, and Kalara in Odia.
While we’ve been so busy condemning its bitter taste, we’ve disregarded the fact of its wide range of benefits of bitter gourd juice offers. So here are some crucial Karela juice benefits and later on, you would get to know how you can lessen the harsh taste of bitter melon juice. Let’s get started!
Amazing Health Benefits of Karela Juice Drinking
Like any other fruit juice, a glass of Karela juice is often recommended for good health. True to the fact, Karela helps us right from managing diabetes to strengthening our immunity system to reducing body inflammation, purifying blood to promoting weight loss. Just have a look at the list of health benefits of Karela juice.
1. Manage Diabetes
Managing diabetes by taking this Karela juice is one of the crucial health benefits. Anyone who has just been checked up with diabetes is advised to eat Karela by all – be it a family member or a friend. Various researches have shown that Karela contains insulin that can help to keep blood sugar under control. Furthermore, the carb count of this gourd is also low, which is an added advantage for diabetics.
If you want to have juice, try and drink a small glass on an empty stomach in the morning or it is best had in-between meals.
According to a 2011 study, a four-week clinical trial showed that 2,000 mg of bitter melon if taken on a daily basis reduced the blood sugar level significantly in the patients suffering from type-2 diabetes. Studies also have shown that this plant-based insulin in Karela helps patients with type-1 diabetes.
2. Improve Gut Health
Regular consumption of Kerala juice has a very positive impact on digestive health. The juice not only reduces intestinal disorders – such as constipation but is equally beneficial for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) by treating the parasites that usually enter the gut. The high fiber count and natural laxative properties aid digestive health. The antioxidants in the Karela juice are also known to the digestive enzymes stimulation and promote digestion.
3. Boost Up Immunity Level
Karela fights against viruses, bacteria, and strengthens your immunity. It prevents allergies and indigestion. The antioxidants present in the Karela juice work as a powerful defense mechanism against illness and help fight free-radical damage that can cause various types of cancer.
In 2010, research was published in the Pharmaceutical Research Journal stating bitter-melon has anti-carcinogen and anti-tumor properties, and due to which, it reduces the risk of prostate, breast, and cervical cancer.
4. Protect Against Cancer
Many types of cancer in the body are mostly a result of damage to cells due to high free radical count. These free radicals are produced in the body as a by-product of metabolism and number increases due to stress, pollution, and smoking. Due to this, the chances of getting cancer and cell mutation would be more.
Karela like many other fruits and vegetables carries antioxidant power, which can fight and scavenge these free radicals from our body.
5. Beautifies the Skin
The antioxidant present in the Karela juice benefits from preventing premature aging of the skin and reducing wrinkles, thus contributing to glowing skin. Due to antimicrobial properties, the juice has the ability to treat various skin diseases, flushing away harmful toxins in your blood, and improves blood circulation in your body.
Also, if you’re facing any itchiness, rashes, or acne, Karela juice can get rid of them because of its antioxidant properties found in it.
6. Regulate Cholesterol
It is usually recommended to drink Karela juice on empty stomach in the morning as it can easily be absorbed by the body. Being emetic in nature, it can let you feel nauseous. So try sipping on smaller quantities initially.
Karela juice exhibits anti-inflammatory properties and helps in lowering the levels of LDL – Low Density Lipoprotein or bad cholesterol in laymen’s terms. Furthermore, being rich in iron, it strengthens immunity and protects the heart.
7. Add Shine to Hair
Besides the fact of Kerala is good for your skin and health, the juice is good for hair too. So, if you’re suffering from dry hair or hair fall, you need to add bitter gourd juice to your diet and changes will be seen. If you’re struggling with dandruff, all you need to do is to mix some Karela juice with some cumin seeds and apply it over your hair before you go for a shower. After a few minutes, gently rinse your hair with normal water. You need to carry out this process for at least a month to see the result.
Nutrition Information of Bitter Gourd (Kerala) Juice
The benefits of Karela juice is defined with several important nutrients. For example, blending up 1 cup of raw bitter melon with a 1/2 cup of filtered water will deliver the following Karela nutrition:
| Calories | 16 |
|---|---|
| Carbs | 3.4 grams |
| Fiber | 2.6 grams |
| Protein | 0.9 grams |
| Fat | 0.2 grams |
| Vitamin C | 95% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) |
| Folate | 17% of the RDI |
| Zinc | 10% of the RDI |
| Potassium | 6% of the RDI |
| Iron | 5% of the RDI |
| Vitamin A | 4% of RDI |
| Sodium | 0 mg |
Bitter Gourd or Karela juice offers vitamin C, an antioxidant that plays a role in promoting immunity, brain health, and tissue healing. It’s also a good source of provitamin A, a substance that your body converts into vitamin A, which helps with eyesight and skin health.
What’s more, every 1 cup of bitter melon you blend into your juice provides about 8% of your daily fiber needs to support healthy digestion. Dietary fiber can also help control the blood sugar
How to Make Bitter Gourd or Karela Juice?
You can easily make Karela juice at home. All you require is the raw bitter melon, a blender or juicer, and water. To help with the taste, you can soak bitter melon flesh in water with lemon juice for about half-an-hour before blending it.
Here’re the ingredients and directions down below to figure out how to make bitter gourd juice.
Ingredients:
- 1 bitter melon
- Water or other juice
- Lemon juice, salt, or honey (optional)
Direction:
- Wash the bitter melon under cold water.
- On a cutting board, place them all and slice off each end.
- Cut the melon crosswise and lengthwise. You should now have four pieces.
- Scoop out the seeds using a spoon and discard them.
- Place the remaining outer green flesh on the cutting board. Slice these into medium-sized pieces.
- Add water to the blender to equal about one part water to two parts bitter melon.
- Add the pieces of melon to the blender. You can add a few drops of lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon of honey or salt for taste.
- Serve immediately or chill after pour over a wire mesh strainer to filter out chunks of fruit.
The Bottom Line
Karela juice is highly nutritious and has a lot of health benefits, including the improvement in skin health and blood sugar level. Given that it’s made from bitter melon, it can be a bitter taste. When making the juice at home, you can add other fruits and vegetables to reduce its sharp flavor.
While more research on Karela health benefits is needed, it can deliver many key nutrients and may help optimize your health when consumed in moderation.
