Bitter melon is especially rich in vitamin C , an important micronutrient involved in disease prevention, bone formation, and wound healing 2. It provides folate , which is essential for growth and development, as well as smaller amounts of potassium, zinc, and iron 4.
Bitter melon is a good source of catechin, gallic acid, epicatechin, and chlorogenic acid, too — powerful antioxidant compounds that can help protect your cells against damage 5. Thanks to its potent medicinal properties, bitter melon has long been used by indigenous populations around the world to help treat diabetes-related conditions 6.
A 3-month study in 24 adults with diabetes showed that taking 2, mg of bitter melon daily decreased blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c, a test used to measure blood sugar control over three months 7. Another study in 40 people with diabetes found that taking 2, mg per day of bitter melon for 4 weeks led to a modest reduction in blood sugar levels.
Bitter melon is thought to improve the way that sugar is used in your tissues and promote the secretion of insulin , the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels 9. However, research in humans is limited, and larger, more high-quality studies are needed to understand how bitter melon may impact blood sugar levels in the general population. Research suggests that bitter melon contains certain compounds with cancer-fighting properties. For example, one test-tube study showed that bitter melon extract was effective at killing cancer cells of the stomach, colon, lung, and nasopharynx — the area located behind the nose at the back of your throat Another test-tube study had similar findings, reporting that bitter melon extract was able to block the growth and spread of breast cancer cells while also promoting cancer cell death Keep in mind that these studies were performed using concentrated amounts of bitter melon extract on individual cells in a laboratory.
Further research is needed to determine how bitter melon may affect cancer growth and development in humans when consumed in the normal amounts found in food. High levels of cholesterol can cause fatty plaque to build up in your arteries, forcing your heart to work harder to pump blood and increasing your risk of heart disease Several animal studies found that bitter melon may decrease cholesterol levels to support overall heart health.
Another study noted that giving rats a bitter melon extract significantly reduced cholesterol levels compared to a placebo. Higher doses of bitter melon showed the greatest decrease Still, current research on the potential cholesterol-lowering properties of bitter melon is mostly limited to animal studies using large doses of bitter melon extract. Additional studies are needed to determine whether these same effects apply to humans eating the gourd as part of a balanced diet.
It contains approximately 2 grams of fiber in each one-cup gram serving 1. Fiber passes through your digestive tract very slowly, helping keep you fuller for longer and reducing hunger and appetite 15 , Therefore, swapping higher-calorie ingredients with bitter melon could help increase your fiber intake and cut calories to promote weight loss. Some research also shows that bitter melon can have beneficial effects on fat burning and weight loss.
One study found that consuming a capsule containing 4. Indian curries, as well as those from the Caribbean Islands, really tend to cook down the bitter melon in stews and curries in an effort to mask the bitterness with rich flavors like coconut milk, tamarind, and dry spices. It certainly can be beneficial to your health, but in no way should it be used as the sole medical remedy for any of the before mentioned illnesses.
Photograph courtesy of Shigemi. August 17, Exploring the Taste of Bitter Melon. Flavor and Health Benefits So, what is it that makes our programmed, Western palates shy away from the thought of using bitter melon in our cooking? Growth and Appearance Bitter melon is one weird looking fruit. Related articles. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website.
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These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Movement across more than one stage was not observed in this study. These results are expected based on the nature of individual behaviors within each stage. Traditionally, bitter melon has been used as a vegetable in a variety of ways in Asian cuisine, and as the main ingredient its bitter taste can be overwhelming.
Bitter melon-containing food dishes are not popular in the Western world due to its bitterness, which is an acquired taste. We therefore conducted a pilot study to incorporate bitter melon into few popular food dishes regularly consumed in Hawaii.
Our results indicate that chili, soup, and tomato sauce were more palatable compared to the curry dish which was considered unacceptable due to its "bitterness". It is possible that a sampling bias could have existed solely by the use of the term "bitter melon" in the recruitment process. Participants were aware from signs used to advertise the study, that it would be a tasting or acceptability study of bitter melon.
Additionally, one of the main attributes singled out for hedonic evaluation was "bitterness" which could have drawn more attention to this potentially negative food trait even before the tasting began. To date, there are no published palatability studies of food dishes prepared with bitter melon.
In one related study, hedonic ratings for bitter melon "pleasantness" before exposure to a bittersweet beverage for seven days and post-exposure were 2. These values were similar to the average "pleasantness" hedonic ratings of bitter melon and another bittersweet beverage of 3. In our study, the mean hedonic curry scores for "bitterness" 3.
Although spices in the curry were unable to mask the bitter taste, its low total energy content makes it an attractive therapeutic alternative in Asian countries such as India wherein curry preparation may be culturally preferred and more acceptable. The other three dishes consisted of several other ingredients such as tomatoes, garlic and basil that masked their bitterness. Some traditional Asian recipes remove the bitter flavor from the fruit by adding salt, which extract the bitter juices and is then discarded.
Alternatively, a combination of salt and vinegar can also be used to mask the bitter flavor. Besides salt, natural and artificial sweeteners as well as fat or cooking techniques such as pickling, caramelizing, or braising can be effective in reducing bitter taste [ 18 , 31 , 32 ]. In our study, increasing fat or sugar content to improve palatability was avoided since the dishes are intended for future clinical trials among diabetic individuals.
Since this was a palatability testing, the variation in calories of different food dishes is not expected to affect the taste. Similarly, bland starches such as rice and pasta are not expected to significantly affect palatability of bitter melon-containing food dishes. Although participants commented on "more rice" or "less rice" to increase palatability, there was no preference for one starch over the other.
Moreover, these bitter melon-containing dishes could have been consumed without the starches. However, that may have resulted in a false positive or negative palatability score as these food dishes are generally consumed with starches. Besides taste, health information also may influence the gradual acceptance and consumption of functional foods with bitter taste [ 33 ].
In our study, health information failed to have a significant effect on consumption intentions. This is in contrast to previous study indicating that likelihood of consumption is decreased as bitterness increased, while intentions increased with only certain information on health benefits [ 34 ].
Earlier studies by Caltabiano and Shellshear indicated that health was less important in young adults mean age of 22 years than taste or palatability when determining food preferences [ 35 ]. Most of the information provided in this study focused on attributes and consequences of bitter melon consumption that would benefit individuals at higher risk for diabetes or CVD.
Although diabetes is considered as an old age disease, the prevalence of T2DM is increasing in children and young adults, especially in the Pacific region [ 36 ]. Therefore providing bitter melon-associated health information to younger population may be critical in prevention of diabetes. However, statistical analysis indicated that age did not influence the consumption intention in our study data not shown.
Major strength of our study was identifying ingredients from western diet that are able to effectively mask the bitterness of functional food such as bitter melon. Although the order of samples was not randomized, this study limitation may not necessarily affect the taste of subsequent samples since water and saltine crackers were provided between dishes to cleanse their palates. However, the first food sample was randomized so that each dish would not be influenced by the perceived bitterness of the other dishes.
This is exemplified by the fact that the participants at the soup station did not all dislike the chili the last to be sampled by these participants. Randomizing the first dish was an effort to eliminate any potential cumulative effect on taste and therefore may be perceived as "structured randomization". Overall, our study demonstrated that incorporating bitter melon in commonly consumed dishes increased acceptability among a mixed-ethnic and variable age group.
However, previous exposure and knowledge of its health benefits had no effect on consumption intentions. Although our study was limited in the number of bitter melon-containing dishes that were tested and the age of the population, acceptability of foods with masked bitter taste merits future studies with large number of bitter melon-containing food dishes. Bitter melon is routinely consumed as a part of many Asian diets and should therefore be expected to have minimal side effects.
Well-designed clinical trials are also warranted to verify the dosage, safety, and pharmacokinetics of bitter melon. Results obtained from such studies will be significant since the information can help to develop nutritional regimens that can be incorporated into a daily diet. Developing such dietary alternatives to increase palatability and ultimately consumption of bitter tasting functional foods is expected to positively impact diabetes outcomes.
Overall, sour flavor of tomato based recipes were able to mask the bitterness of bitter melon and these food dishes were considered acceptable by most participants. Taste rather than health information was a major determinant of willingness to consume bitter melon in future. The potential benefits associated with many bitter fruits and vegetables, such as bitter melon, may warrant the development of recipes to use in nutrition interventions aimed at increasing consumption of these bitter foods.
Future studies are warranted to test the palatability of additional bitter melon containing food choices among participants of varying ages.
Article PubMed Google Scholar. Sibutramine Trial of Obesity Reduction and Maintenance. Sheperd TM: Effective management of obesity. The J Family Practice. Google Scholar. J Manag Care Pharm. PubMed Google Scholar. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. Am J Health-Syst Pharm. Br J Nutr.
J Nutr. J Ethnopharmacol. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. Rajasthan Medical Journal. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. British Journal of Nutrition. Or it can also be stuffed by cutting into thick rounds and coring. Sign up for the best of Food Republic, delivered to your inbox Tuesday and Thursday. Home Recipes Drink Travel. Tiffany April 4, What to look for Each oblong fruit grows to about 10 inches avoid buying any that are bigger than that.
Photo: Simon Law How to prepare it Unless you get a small, young bitter melon recommended , avoid eating the thick, waxy skin. You Might Also Like.
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