Bitter melon can be a ‘panacea’ to cure many diseases, but it is a ‘great cavalry’ for some people.

Bitter melon is not only a culinary ingredient, but also has many pharmacological properties such as clearing heat, detoxifying, quenching thirst, etc. However, there are some points you need to keep in mind when eating bitter melon to prevent thirst. avoid harm to the body.

Bitter gourd is also known as bitter melon, which is the family of melons or melons. Bitter gourd fruit has lumpy, bitter taste. Bitter gourd contains a variety of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C.

Health benefits of bitter melon

Helps improve type 2 diabetes

Scientists have found that bitter melon can increase glucose metabolism in the body, thereby effectively reducing blood sugar levels. To get the maximum health benefits from this special fruit, you can make a glass of water from bitter melon and drink it every day.

However, if symptoms such as diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain appear, you should stop using bitter melon and seek help from your doctor. Ideally, before making any changes in the diet, people with type 2 diabetes should also consult with a nutritionist and have regular blood sugar monitoring checks to get the best results. You can adjust your medication to suit your condition.

Lower blood cholesterol levels

Recent studies have also shown that eating bitter melon can help you lower blood cholesterol levels. Usually, a blood test will help your doctor diagnose high cholesterol levels. When the blood accumulates too much cholesterol, it can lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular problems. Therefore, bitter melon is considered a natural remedy to help prevent dangerous diseases such as myocardial infarction, heart disease and stroke.

Bitter gourd helps to nourish the liver

Bitter melon helps cool the liver, tonic liver, aids digestion, improves gallbladder function. Regular use of bitter melon can improve constipation, cirrhosis, and hepatitis.

Eating bitter melon helps reduce cholesterol

Bitter melon helps to lower cholesterol, thereby helping you get rid of the risk of heart attack and stroke. High cholesterol can only be diagnosed with a blood test. Eating bitter melon regularly will bring surprising results.

Bitter melon has the ability to fight cancer, especially pancreatic cancer

One of the most surprising health benefits of bitter melon is its anti-cancer properties. Bitter melon has been shown to disrupt sugar production, potentially inhibiting the growth of pancreatic cancer cells. It may also inhibit other cancer cells in the liver, colon, breast, or prostate.

Helps strengthen the immune system

A healthy immune system is important for fighting infection and disease. Bitter melon helps prevent colds and is beneficial for the digestive system. It also helps prevent or limit food allergies, eliminating yeast infections naturally. Another benefit is helping to treat acid reflux and indigestion.

The following people need to be very careful when eating bitter melon

People with digestive system problems

Eating bitter melon daily is very good for health, but eating too much can lead to diarrhea and stomach problems.

Bitter melon can be toxic to liver cells in animals, liver enzymes are elevated after consuming bitter melon. The substances in bitter melon have the ability to change the shape of liver cells.

Pregnant and lactating women

Research by scientists shows that bitter melon can cause uterine contractions, bleeding and miscarriage, leading to premature birth. At the same time, bitter melon has the ability to cause genetic mutations. Therefore, pregnant women should not use bitter melon, especially in the early stages of pregnancy.

Women who are breastfeeding should also not eat bitter melon because in this fruit there are some components with mild toxicity that can be transmitted through breast milk.

This toxicity does not affect adults, but is problematic in children so it is very important to use caution.

People with liver and kidney disease

Bitter melon is very difficult to digest, can cause bloating, so people with liver and kidney disease should avoid eating this fruit. People with G6PD deficiency (an enzyme that plays an important role in the metabolism of red blood cells) should also stay away from this bitter vegetable.

People with a history of low blood pressure

The ingredients that create the sugar-lowering properties in bitter melon include: Charantin, Polypeptid-P and Vicine. Mechanisms of action include lowering blood sugar and improving glucose tolerance. An animal study of hypoglycemia performed in rats and rabbits improved glucose tolerance, maintained its hypoglycemic properties 15 days after discontinuing bitter melon, and also reduced cholesterol.

One report showed that bitter melon slowed the progression of retinopathy (a complication of diabetes) in diabetic rats when drinking bitter gourd juice. But at least one animal study found no glucose-lowering effects in diabetic rats when a freeze-dried formulation of bitter gourd was given orally for 6 weeks.