Bitter melon (ampalaya) can help you manage your diabetes. Its bitterness may turn you away from it but it can really help your medical condition. Although it does not cure diabetes, it can assist you in managing your glucose levels.
Apart from controlling your blood glucose levels, bitter melon can offer the following health benefits:
- It contains a plant insulin that lowers blood sugar levels. It has a hypoglycemic agent that can enhance uptake of glucose. It also increases synthesis of glycogen in the liver cells. These compounds are believed to be the agents that can reduce blood sugar levels and may treat type-2 diabetes.
- It is an excellent source of folate. It reduces the risk of neural tube defects in pregnancy. It must be taken during the first trimester to make it more effective in preventing such defects.
- It is rich in vitamins that can help in preventing cancers.
- It relieves indigestion and constipation.
Symptoms of toxicity
If you take too much of bitter melon, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Stomach pain
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Muscular weakness
- Facial redness
- Excessive salivation
If you cannot take the bitterness of this vegetable, then you may reduce it by soaking it in salt water for 10 minutes.
At home, we usually eat it raw.
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