Pare (Momordica charantia L) is a tropical plant that lives in the lowlands and is classified as a wild plant species that can be cultivated in bare land. You can also find bitter melon cultivation in fields, yards, vines on bamboo stands (wooden frames), or even creeping on trees and fences. Pare is easy to grow and does not require a lot of sunlight, so it can thrive in a shady place and protected from sunlight. So, you don’t need to be overwhelmed to get the benefits of bitter melon, because it is quite easy to find.
Unfortunately, these annuals are only a year old. The bitter melon plant has spiral-like tendrils that twist strongly to propagate, has many branches, and a five-square stem.
Pare plants are single-leaved, and lined between the stems. The shape is elliptical about 3.5-8.5 centimeters (cm) wide, 4 cm wide, has a heart-shaped base, with a color that tends to be dark green.
The main part of the bitter melon plant that has a fairly high economic value is the fruit. For farmers, peddling bitter melon is an alternative source of income and an increase in income. For consumers, bitter melon is not only used as a variety of dishes, but also has a dual function as a medicinal plant. The bitter melon plant belongs to the cucurbitaceae nation, the type of momordica charantia L. with its distribution covering China, India and Southeast Asia. For the people of southern Japan, bitter melon is often used as a laxative, laxative and anthelmintic (Okabe et al. 1980). In India, bitter melon extract is used as a diabetic, rheumatic, gout drug, liver disease drug and lymphatic disease drug.
Nutrient content in bitter melon
According to the Indonesian Food Composition Data (DKPI), per 100 grams of fresh and raw bitter melon you can get the nutritional content as below.
• Water: 94.4 grams
• Calories: 19 kcal
• Protein: 1.0 gram
• Fat: 0.4 gram
• Carbohydrates: 3.6 grams
• Fiber: 1.3 grams
• Calcium: 31 milligrams
• Phosphorus: 65 milligrams
• Iron: 0.9 milligrams
• Sodium: 5.0 milligrams
• Potassium: 277.7 milligrams
• Copper: 0.03 milligrams
• Zinc: 0.8 milligrams
• Retinol (Vit. A): 0.0 microgram
• Beta carotene: 197 micrograms
• Total carotene: 80 micrograms
• Thiamin (Vit. B1): 0.18 milligrams
• Riboflavin (Vit B2): 0.04 milligrams
• Niacin (Vit. B3): 0.4 milligrams
• Vitamin C: 58 milligrams
Benefits of bitter melon for body health
Bitter gourd contains various vitamins, such as vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, and B9. In addition, bitter melon also contains minerals, such as potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron, as well as antioxidant compounds, such as phenols and flavonoids.
The nutrients contained in it make bitter melon has many benefits as below.
1. Control blood sugar
Bitter gourd contains magnesium which functions to maximize the work of the insulin hormone. Quoted from the World Journal of Diabetes, type 2 diabetes is often associated with a lack of magnesium in the body.
The magnesium you get through bitter melon can maximize insulin which is in charge of regulating blood sugar levels. So you can make bitter gourd as a food choice to help lower blood sugar. In addition, bitter melon is also able to prevent the accumulation of glucose in the blood and move it to the liver, muscles, and fat tissue.
Even so, the content of bitter melon can not necessarily be used for pre-diabetes or diabetes. Consult your doctor for the best solution.
2. Boost immunity
Pare contains abundant antioxidant compounds, one of which is vitamin C. Antioxidants form a defense against foreign objects that will damage the body, such as free radicals that can cause a number of diseases.
Well, you can get about 58 milligrams of vitamin C in 100 grams of bitter melon. This means, bitter melon can meet more than half of the daily requirement of vitamin C for adults, which is 90 milligrams for men and 75 grams for women.
Research also shows that bitter melon contains several antibacterial and antiviral agents. Bitter gourd also contains anthelmintic agents, which are antiparasitic compounds that can help remove parasitic worms from the body.
3. Maintain eye health
Bitter gourd contains flavonoid compounds, such as -carotene, -carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin that can help improve your eye health. Other content in bitter melon can also prevent cataracts and glaucoma caused by complications of diabetes.
Thanks to this nutrient content, bitter melon can improve vision function, especially night vision problems due to night blindness and slow down macular degeneration.
4. Relieves asthma and other respiratory disorders
The content of bitter melon is able to prevent common respiratory diseases, such as coughs, flu, or colds. In traditional Chinese medicine, the juice of bitter melon is also used to treat certain respiratory conditions, such as dry cough, bronchitis, and asthma for hundreds of years.
Bitter gourd has antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties that make it an ideal food additive for maintaining respiratory health.
5. Treat skin problems
Another benefit of bitter melon is as an alternative treatment for various skin problems, both caused by fungi and bacteria.
The antifungal and antibacterial compounds found in bitter melon can help fight skin infections, including ringworm and scabies. The trick, you simply extract the bitter melon leaves and apply on the affected skin area.
The anti-inflammatory compounds in bitter melon can treat skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis. Bitter gourd can also help stop the activity of guanylate cyclase, an enzyme that can make psoriasis worse.
Although it has many health benefits, bitter melon is not recommended for consumption by pregnant women. Experiments on mice have shown that giving bitter gourd juice causes miscarriage.
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