A common vegetable in the indian kitchen is bitter gourd. It belongs to the same family as that of bottle gourd. Just like bottle gourd,it is low in calories and high in fiber.
It contains beta carotene, a precursor to form vitamin A, hence can provide vitamin A. It is rich in vitamin B1, B2, B3 and folic acid as well as minerals like copper, phosphorous, magnesium and is also high in potassium etc.
Although bitter in taste, it can be overlooked for its various health benefits.
- It is effective in controlling high blood sugars in diabetes because of the fiber content.
- In alcoholism, the commonly seen deficiencies are of B group vitamins. Commonly seen symptoms are redness of the tongue, skin being flaky and dry etc. These symptoms can be overcome by daily including this vegetable in your diet.
- Works as a good laxative and is effective in treating constipation.
- As it is high in vitamins and minerals, it can improve the metabolism of various nutrients like carbohydrates.
- It is very low in carbohydrates, hence can be included in the diets of people who need to follow a carbohydrate restricted diet such as in diabetes and polycystic ovarian diseases. Hence is a very good vegetable to be served with cereals.
- It is also said to improve the immunity, hence can help to prevent common colds and fevers.
Include this vegetable regularly in your diet to reap its benefits.
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hey can i have your online account??
i am a student here in the philippines..i am currently under a study on making a guord bread..i think you can help me regarding with my studies.. thanks for the infomation you pposted here..
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Sanjana - Dietitian Reply:
July 14th, 2009 at 9:19 am
You can contact me on Skype.
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Is bitter gourd juice also good for weight loss ? someone suggested it mixed with cucumber juice to reduce bitterness .
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Sanjana - Dietitian Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Yes it may dilute the taste….
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I EAT STEAMED BITTER GUARD DAILY EMPTY STOMACH WILL THIS HELP IN REDUCING MY WAIST SIZE…..
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Sanjana - Dietitian Reply:
November 18th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Tanii,
I love the idea of steaming. You are getting the most out of it. Club this along with a low calorie diet and regular exercise.
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I am a regular user of Bitter guard. Pretty old in age I have no sugar problem so far.In spite of the bitter taste, I like and enjoy eating Bitter guard as much as I can . It is a regular routine for me. How do I take it.? Here is the recipe:-
Bitter guard, after washing well is cut into circular pieces, 4 rings in 2 cms length, soak them for quite some time in medium thick Tamarind water, which contains turmeric powder, salt to taste and a small quantity of Asafoetida powder.In a frying pan with little oil heated, add dry chilly and mustard seeds. After the splutter of Mustard, transfer the cut bitter guard pieces and Tamarind water entirely into the frying pan and allow them to cook for quite some time till it becomes soft and the tamarind water evaporates away. Your Bitter guard rings are ready. If the seeds are very tender let it remain . Otherwise discard the seeds. Not a difficult dish to prepare.And the bitter taste will not come in your way.
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Dear Sanjana,
I landed accidentallly on your blog but found the contennts brilliant & very informative. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Here’s my first question: I have read at multiple places about health benefits of Oats. I try to eat atleast 100 grams of Oats a day with milk. Can you please confirm that this much is ok or am I overdoing it?
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Sanjana - Dietitian Reply:
May 6th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Hi Vikas,
Oats is good for health but you are overdoing it. Take not more than 25 grams of oats per day…
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