5 Ways in Which Bitter Gourd aka Karela Can Help You Lose Weight

Bitter Gourd aka Karela is low in calories, fat and carbohydrates. This makes it the perfect food for weight loss.

Here’s how bitter gourd or karela will help you burn those extra kilos naturally.

(Photo: iStockphoto)

How many of us want to lose weight? Everyone, right? Okay, at least most of us do.

But how many of us love to eat bitter gourd? Possibly no one. There’s a reason we don’t like bitter gourd - well, its bitter!

But what if we told you that this bitter tasting vegetable can help you lose weight naturally? Yes, bitter gourd or karela is possibly one of the most nutritious vegetables you can consume.

So, how does this super vegetable help you lose those inches? Does drinking karela juice everyday help or should you consume it raw?

Here are some answers to help you burn those extra kilos naturally:

Low-Calorie Food

Raw bitter gourd pods have only 17 calories per 100 grams while 1 cup of bitter gourd juice has 32 calories. (Photo: iStockphoto)

Guess the number of calories in 100 grams of karela? As low as 20 calories. Raw bitter gourd pods have only 17 calories per 100 grams while 1 cup of bitter gourd juice has 32 calories. Amazing, right?

Karela is also low in fat and carbohydrates. This makes it the perfect food for weight loss.

Great for Gut Health

Consuming bitter gourd on a regular basis will help maintain a proper balance in the gut and help you lose weight.(Photo: iStockphoto)

As per Ayurveda, we should consume foods of all tastes - sweet, sour, salty, bitter etc, but due to our aversion to the bitter tasting foods, we tend to exclude them from our everyday diets.

Nutritionist Kavita Devgan explains:

Avoiding bitter foods from our diet creates an imbalance in the gut. This in turn affects our hormones, metabolism and the alkaline levels in our bodies. The result - you end up gaining weight. But consuming bitter gourd on a regular basis will help maintain a proper balance in the gut and help you lose weight.

Stabilises Sugar Levels in the Body

Bitter gourd is great for diabetic patients as it helps regulate the insulin levels in the bloodstream.(Photo Courtesy: Pixabay)

Bitter gourd is great for diabetic patients as it helps regulate the insulin levels in the bloodstream. A little bit of karela juice early morning on an empty stomach is recommended for diabetics. It contains a chemical called ‘charantin’ which is known to reduce high blood glucose levels.

But it is also works wonders for the people who wish to lose weight as it stabilises the blood sugar levels in the body.

Consuming bitter gourd activates the insulin in our bodies. This helps our bodies use the sugar appropriately, without allowing it to convert to fat. This eventually can lead to weight loss.

Kavita Devgan, Nutritionist

Rich in Fibre

Bitter gourd or karela is rich in soluble fibre.(Photo Courtesy: Public Domain Pictures)

Bitter gourd is rich in soluble fibre which prolongs the digestion process and keeps you feeling full for a longer period of time. This in turn prevents you from binge-eating.

The other reason why bitter gourd is so filling is that it has high water content - approximately 89-94 percent - which makes it calorie-free and a great food for summers.

Detoxifies the Body and Improves Digestion

Bitter gourd juice is an excellent source of antioxidants.(Photo Courtesy: Pixabay)

Bitter gourd juice is an excellent source of antioxidants which helps in the secretions of enzymes that aid digestion.

Drinking bitter gourd juice regularly detoxifies our bodies and helps in the metabolic processes that promote weight loss.

Kavita Devgan, Nutritionist

If you find yourself struggling to gulp down this bitter drink, then add some honey or jaggery to it. Even a few drops of lemon juice will help decrease the bitterness.

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