A Bitter Melon to Swallow
Bitter melon, bitter gourd, wild cucumber, bitter apple, balsam pear – this healthful little cucurbit has a plethora of names, and as most of those names suggest, it’s also a “bitter pill to swallow,” literally. What exactly is a bitter melon? What are the health benefits of bitter melon? And how can you make this “bitter pill” easier to swallow? Read on to find out.
The “Skin” on Bitter Melons
Momordica charantia, the bitter melon, is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family (meaning it’s related to cucumbers, watermelons, and squash). However, unlike its cousins that sweeten as they ripen, bitter melons become more bitter the riper they get. The sprawling plants are grown mostly for medicinal purposes in Asia, South America, the Caribbean, and East Africa. They produce small, round, bumpy fruits with green to yellowish skin and a uniquely sour punch. The green specimens have a bitterer taste, while the yellow-tinted ones taste milder.
Historically, bitter melons have been used as medicine in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese practices and in parts of Japan. In Ayurvedic medicine, a holistic practice developed in India a few thousand years ago, bitter melons have served as a means of managing diabetes and balancing hormones, as a natural laxative, as treatment for digestive issues and for skin wounds and disorders. Chinese practitioners used the fruit’s juice in tonics for treating skin wounds, digestive ailments, and respiratory illnesses. This fruit’s medicinal uses are still popular today.
Health Benefits
Nutritionally speaking, bitter melon is a good source of fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamins C and A. It also contains a number of other vitamins, minerals, and other helpful compounds, including the following:
- calcium
- zinc
- magnesium
- phosphorus
- iron
- selenium
- manganese
- B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B9)
- antioxidants (phenols, flavonoids, etc.).
Accordingly, bitter melon can benefit your health in several ways (although some are not well-supported by research). Consider the following medicinal benefits of bitter melon:
- Balancing blood sugar. Compounds like charantins and peptides, as well as alkalides, act like insulin in the body and help regulate the body’s use of insulin. This can help manage the symptoms of diabetes and reduce complications like high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and kidney damage.
- Fighting infections. The raw fruits and their juice contain antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-parasitic compounds. This makes them helpful in the treatment of wounds and infections.
- Improving digestion and liver health. Bitter melons have been shown to increase glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase, and superoxidase dismutase in the body. This gives them the ability to prevent, improve, or treat a number of digestive issues, including liver disease, liver function, kidney stones inflammatory bowel disease symptoms, parasitic worms, ulcers, and constipation.
- Preventing cancer. The anti-tumor compounds in bitter melons, as well as their detoxification effects and inhibition of free radical damage, may enable them to effectively prevent certain cancers. Research has explored the fruit’s effects against bladder cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, tongue and larynx carcinoma, skin tumors, breast cancer, and prostate cancer.
- Reducing respiratory problems. Among other healthful properties of the bitter melon are its expectorant, suppressant, and antihistamine properties, as well as its ability to detoxify, reduce inflammation, and improve blood flow. All of these prove helpful in the management of food allergies, mucus, and coughs. They may even help prevent coughing, colds, and flu.
Supplementing with bitter melon can cause side effects, including
- menstrual bleeding, miscarriage, and infertility
- fainting and dizziness
- adverse interactions with diabetes medications.
Remember to consult your doctor before using bitter melon supplements, especially if you take insulin, have a G6PD deficiency, are pregnant, or have recently had surgery.
Eat Your Melons!
When it comes to consuming bitter melon, you can find it as a supplement (that is, a pill), as a tea, and of course in its natural state. The recommended dosage for extracts, capsules, and tablets is 1000-2000 mg per day for up to 3 months. Since absorption is improved when taken with meals, split the total amount into 2-3 doses to be taken easily when you eat. Be sure to choose certified organic, non-GMO verified supplements with no magnesium stearate, gluten, or synthetic additives.
When buying the fruits themselves, choose firm, green specimens with no splits or bruises and no discoloration on the skin. Kept whole, these will store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. (You can also buy canned or dried bitter melons.) Juice, lightly fry, boil, steam, roast, pickle, curry, or stuff you bitter melons. Up to 100 mL of fresh juice may be safely consumed each day. Adding honey or other vegetable juice will reduce the bitterness. To “sweeten up” cooked applications, so to speak, blanch cut fruit (that is, dip it in boiling water) for 2-3 minutes. Then salt it liberally and let it rest for 10 minutes before rinsing and cooking. Garlic, onions, potatoes, and chilis partner well with bitter melons.
Don’t wait to taste this healthful fruit. Try this tasty recipe:
Bitter Melon Stuffed with Spiced Tomatoes
(Bal Arneson, cookingchanneltv.com)
Prep time: 40 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 4 bitter melons
- 4 Tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 6-8 dried curry leaves (available at Asian or Indian specialty market)
- 1 Tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees (Fahrenheit).
- Cut melons in half lengthwise and scoop out pulp and seeds.
- Heat grapeseed oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion and ginger in skillet until onion is soft and golden.
- Add the rest of your ingredients, except the melons and remaining oil. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cool mixture slightly, then spoon into melon halves. Tie halves together with kitchen string.
- Heat remaining grapeseed oil in a clean skillet over medium-high heat. Brown stuffed melons on all sides. Place melons on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 15 minutes.
As you can see, this “bitter pill” of a melon does not need to be viewed as such. Knowing how to eat bitter melon is key! When treated properly and paired with complementary flavors, it can be downright delicious. Add to that its nutritional and medical benefits, and you can be sure that the bitter melon deserves a place in your diet. It may never be sweet, but when used properly, its effects will not be bitter.
