Bitter gourd is thought to have originated from the Indian sub- continent! It is technically considered to be a fruit. Whether it’s a fruit or a vegetable… there is no doubt that bitter gourd is probably the only bitter edible that can be turned into a dish. Bitter gourd belongs to a family called `Cucurbitaceae`. It’s interesting to find that the fruits like Watermelon and Cucumber belong to the same family. That might be the reason why, it is sometimes called as `Bitter melon`! Being an easy tree to grow in the tropical atmosphere, it’s widely cultivated in India, sometimes even in the backyards.

There is no need to reiterate the benefit of bitter gourd for Diabetics. But such a belief is not baseless. Bitter gourd contains a nutrient called `polypeptide-P`. This works similar to the Insulin. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (U.S) has published a study according to which, Polypeptide-p was found to regulate the glucose levels in the mice. Bitter gourd also consists of `charantin` which is known to reduce the levels of sugar in blood. Bitter gourd is also found to heal the skin problems that prevail along with diabetes. However, relying completely on the juice of bitter gourd to control diabetes is still not advised.

Bitter gourd is a rich source for vitamins. It has considerable amount of antioxidants such as Beta carotene which fight against the free radicals and keep us young. Very few are aware that Bitter gourds are rich in Vitamin C. According to the United States Department of Agriculture- 100 grams of cooked, boiled and drained bitter gourd contains 55.6mg of Vitamin C. That is more than half of our daily requirement for Vitamin C. Besides, Bitter gourd is rich in water and low in calories which makes it a perfect food for those who are diet conscious. From constipation to cancer, the intake of bitter gourd is thought to be soothing remedy for many ailments!

The results of a Bitter gourd can always be sweet! So let’s add them to the menu, as often as possible.

- NIRJARA