Bitter Melon – Its Benefits For Your Body, Skin & Hair

The bitter melon is also known as bitter gourd or its scientific name Momordica charantia is a vine plant found in places with tropical climates. It belongs to the pumpkin family, which is also closely related to zucchini, squash, and cucumber.

This plant is cultivated around the world for its edible fruit, which is considered a staple in many types of Asian cuisine. The bitter melon variety known in China has an elongated shape, is pale green in color, and is covered with wart-like bumps.

While the Indian variety is a darker green, much rougher in texture (even somewhat spiky), and with pronounced tapering ends. Over time, bitter melon has been linked to different benefits that can help health in people.

Bitter melon extract benefits

Bitter melon nutritional profile, one cup equivalent to 94 grams of raw bitter melon provides:

• Calories: 20
• Carbohydrates: 4 grams
• Fiber: 2 grams
• Vitamin C: 93% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
• Vitamin A: 44% of the RDI.

The bitter melon is rich in vitamin C, an important micronutrient involved in preventing disease, bone formation, and wound healing. It is also rich in vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin that promotes healthy skin and vision.

In addition, it also provides folate, which is essential for growth and development, as well as small amounts of potassium, zinc, and iron. (Greenberg et al., 2011).

This fruit is also known to be a good source of catechins, gallic acid, epicatechin, and chlorogenic acid, powerful antioxidant compounds that can help protect cells from external damage. (Alam et al., 2015). It is also capable of meeting approximately 8% of the daily fiber needs in a single 94-gram serving.

Four Benefits of bitter melon

1. Helps lower blood sugar levels

Thanks to the medicinal properties of bitter melon, it has been used over time by indigenous populations from all over the world to help treat diseases related to diabetes.

A 3-month study of 24 adults with diabetes in which they took 2,000 mg of bitter melon daily lowered blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c, a test used to measure blood sugar control for three months. (Navarrete et al., 2018).

In another study conducted with the help of 40 people with diabetes, it was found that taking 2,000 mg per day of bitter melon for 4 weeks led to a modest reduction in blood sugar levels. (Fuangchan et al., 2011).

Bitter melon is believed to improve the way sugar is used in your tissues and promote the secretion of insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating sugar levels.

2. Helps fight cancer

In one study, the bitter melon extract was shown to be effective in killing cancer cells in the stomach, colon, lung, and nasopharynx, the area behind the nose at the back of the throat. (Li et al., 2012).

Similar results were obtained in a second test-tube study, reporting that bitter melon extract was able to block the growth and spread of breast cancer cells and, at the same time, promote cancer cell death. (Ray et al., 2010).

3. Helps lower cholesterol

High cholesterol levels can cause fatty plaques to build up in the arteries, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood, and increasing the risk of heart disease.

A study carried out in rats with a diet rich in cholesterol observed that the administration of bitter melon extract led to a significant decrease in the levels of total cholesterol, “bad” LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. (Rabia et al., 2016).

A third study found that giving rats bitter melon extract significantly lowered their cholesterol levels compared to a placebo. The highest doses of bitter melon showed the greatest decrease. (Yama et al., 2010).

Although there have been several investigations carried out on animals, the current ones carried out in humans are very few. Therefore, much more information is needed to corroborate these effects on people.

4. Helps to lose weight

Bitter melon is a fruit widely used by people who want to lose weight, as it is very low in calories but high in fiber.

The fiber in bitter melon passes through your digestive tract very slowly, helping you feel full for longer, and reducing hunger and appetite.

Some research also shows that bitter melon has beneficial effects on fat-burning and weight loss. In one study, consuming a capsule containing 4.8 grams of bitter melon extract each day was found to significantly decrease abdominal fat. Participants lost an average of 1.3 cm from their waist circumference after seven weeks. (Tsai et al., 2012).

Note: Bitter melon, however, is not for everyone. Pregnant women and people suffering from hypoglycemia should not consume bitter melon. People with diabetes who use drugs to lower their sugar levels should not consume this fruit either.

Other Benefits

1. Benefits for your Body

Facilitates weight loss: Bitter melon promotes weight loss due to several properties. First of all, it is super low in calories and high in water. Fill and satisfy hunger with a few calories. It also helps to purify the entire body, thus helping a weight loss diet to be more effective. On the other hand, bitter melon helps prevent the body from absorbing too much sugar. Helps regulate blood sugar levels.

2. Benefits for your skin

Help keep skin glowing and healthy: Bitter melon nourishes the skin from within in multiple ways. It is rich in vitamin C. This vitamin is key to slowing down the aging process and preventing wrinkles.
Melon also helps purify the blood: The purification is reflected in the radiant appearance of the skin. According to alternative medicine, acne can be avoided with the frequent consumption of bitter melon.

Popularly, bitter melon juice is used as a remedy to alleviate the symptoms of skin conditions, such as psoriasis, eczema, and skin infections.

3. Benefits for your hair

It is an excellent remedy for hair care. There are many bitter melon-based home remedies for hair treatments. Fresh bitter melon juice is mixed with different ingredients and applied to hair for lustrous hair, or to prevent graying, hair loss, or other problems. Here are some of the most popular fresh bitter melon juice remedies for hair:

• Shine Hair Remedy: Mix fresh bitter melon juice with plain yogurt. Apply the mixture to the hair and leave it for a while and rinse.
• The remedy to eliminate dandruff: Make a paste by mixing fresh bitter melon juice with cumin seeds. Apply to hair daily for a while and then rinse. Use for a month to remove dandruff.
• The remedy to remove split ends: Put fresh bitter melon juice on the ends of the hair and comb them with a comb. Do it twice a week.
• The remedy to prevent hair loss: Mix fresh bitter melon juice with a little honey. Apply the hair for a while and rinse.
• The remedy to avoid gray hair: Mix fresh bitter melon juice in the gray hair every 10 days to prevent more.