Benefits Of Karela
Karela also known as the Bitter gourd is a tropical vegetable, largely cultivated in the African and Asian countries. The vegetable has a rough, warty, green colored skin and is bitter to taste. Although not very tasty but it has a great nutritional value. This is due to the presence of 32 active constituents, which include citrulline, beta-sitosterol-d-glucoside, lutein, lycopene, zeaxanthin and GABA. Bitter gourd is also rich in minerals like iron, potassium, calcium, beta-carotene, and vitamins B1, B2, B3 and C. Due to the presence of these nutrients better gourd has a great medicinal value and is used as an antipyretic, antidotal, tonic, appetizer, stomachic, anti-bilious and a laxative. There are many benefits of consuming bitter gourd in our daily diets. Some of these benefits are:
1. Beneficial for diabetics.
The bitter taste of bitter gourd makes it a perfect diet for people suffering from diabetes. It helps to lower their blood sugar levels and should be consumed by them regularly.
2. Benefits to the digestive tract.
Bitter gourd is extremely helpful for keeping the digestive tract healthy. It also improves the peristaltic movements, which are particularly important for the removal of waste and toxins out of the body. It stimulates digestive glands like pancreas and liver and thus helps in better absorption of food.
3. Beneficial for carbohydrate metabolism.
Bitter gourd contains essential minerals and vitamins, which help in curing defective carbohydrate metabolism.
4. Protection from worms and infections.
The bitter flavor of bitter gourd helps in suppressing the infestation of worms inside the body. It also helps to curb various kinds of infections in the body.
5. Boosts up the immune system.
The nutrients present in Karela makes it useful for boosting up the immune system of the body. Regular consumption of karela keeps a person away from common viral and bacterial infections.
6. Benefits to the blood circulatory system.
Intake of karela purifies the blood and improves the circulation of it through the entire body.
7. Beneficial for the eyes.
Apart from treating neuritis Karela also helps to prevent eye complications.
8. Aids in treating hypertension.
Regular intake of karela helps in the prevention and treatment hypertension.
9. Beneficial for the skin.
Karela acts as a blood purifier and improves circulation of blood. As a result toxins are removed from the blood as soon as they are formed. This prevents the skin from the negative effects of these toxins. Intake of karela also aids in the treatment of skin diseases like psoriasis.
There are various ways of consuming karela. It can be cooked as vegetable, pickle or squeezed to extract its juice. In whichever way it is consumed the high mineral and vitamin content will benefit you in some way or the other and keep you healthy.
