Brave the bitter gourd for its benefits

Along with mangoes, the summer brings about an increase in the frequency of bitter gourd being present on your plate. Besides breaking the excessive sweetness of mangoes, bitter gourd has several benefits which would cause you to brave the bitter taste.

Benefits of bitter gourd:
Piles: Research has shown that either applying the paste of its roots, or adding three teaspoonfuls of its leaves to a glass of buttermilk is helpful for those with piles.

Diabetes: Bitter gourd contains natural insulin which is highly beneficial in lowering blood sugar levels. One could have the seeds or the flesh of the vegetable – it is equally good.
Constipation: Bitter gourd contains cellulose which acts as a bulk residue, making digestion smoother and thus preventing habitual constipation. 

Blood disorders: It has a blood-purifying property, thus helping cleanse and detoxify as well as aid in curing blood-related disorders.

Fungal diseases: Bitter gourd is also beneficial in treating fungal diseases such as itching, ring-worm, scabies and so on.

Respiratory disorders: Colds, pharyngitis, bronchitis, asthma and rhinitis could also be avoided with the consumption of bitter gourd.

Alcoholism: Here’s a piece of good news for those who want to quit the bottle — not only can bitter gourd battle against alcoholic intoxication, but it also helps cure liver damage due to the same.

Diarrhoea: It is known as a home-cure for diarrhoea, cholera and other such summer ailments. 

Ways to have your bitter gourd:
- Cook it like a vegetable. 
- Make a juice out of it. You could then add some lemon or salt to it too.
- Simply add salt and bake the gourd to make bitter gourd chips. Do not fry the gourd, for that kills all the nutrients present, which means you might end up eating something that’s unhealthy.