Written By: Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | Updated: December 2, 2015, 11:54 AM
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Bitter gourd or karela has therapeutic potential and thus, has been used in various forms of traditional medicine. Although bitter in taste and non-appealing to your eys, drinking a glass of this healthy juice daily might protect you from a wide range of health problems. Here are top 8 reasons why you should sip one every morning!
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Lowers your blood sugar levels: Drink one glass of karela juice in the morning an empty stomach once in three days to keep your blood glucose levels under control. The presence of momorcidin and charatin, two anti-hyperglycemic compounds, in karela juice plays a key role in transportation of blood sugar levels to the muscles. Its seeds also contain polypeptide-P that exerts insulin-like action lowering blood sugar levels in diabetics. (1)
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Improves your appetite: A poor appetite can certainly leave you under-nourished and consequently, increase your risk of various health complications. Hence, drink a glass of bitter gourd juice regularly as it helps to improve the secretion of digestive juices thereby increasing your appetite.
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Aids in the treatment of pancreatic cancer: Drinking a glass of bitter gourd juice daily effectively kills pancreatic cancer cells. (2) This is because, the anti-cancer compounds present in bitter gourd restrict the ability of pancreatic cancer cells to metabolise glucose, thus depriving the cell’s energy source and killing them.
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A balanced and nutritious diet containing lean proteins and healthy fats provides the body with essential antioxidants, phytochemicals, and fibre that help combat inflammation.
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Detoxifies your liver: Drinking a glass of bitter gourd juice everyday prevents jaundice by strengthening the liver. It also helps in detoxifying and nourishing liver, thereby improving your liver’s function and protecting against liver diseases.
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Promotes digestion: Bitter gourd juice stimulates a sluggish digestive system and helps to treat dyspepsia. This is mainly due to the fact that it promotes secretion of acid thereby improving digestion. Hence, consume bitter gourd juice once a week in the morning for better digestion.
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Enhances eyesight: With the regular use of bitter gourd juice, you can keep various vision related disorders at bay. As bitter gourd is rich in beta-carotene and Vitamin A, it plays a key role in improving your vision. Apart from this, the presence of vitamin C and antioxidants in bitter gourd reduces the damage to your eyes caused due to oxidative stress.
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Purifies blood: Bitter gourd juice acts as a natural blood purifier as it flushes out the toxins and also prevents damage caused due to free radicals in your body. So, drink a glass of bitter gourd juice each morning on an empty stomach to cleanse your blood and prevent skin problems like acne.
