Bitter gourd or Bitter melon(Momordica charantia)

Bitter gourd or Bitter melon

(Momordica charantia)

(Balsam pear; Karela;Hagalkai;Kaippakka; Karle;Kalara; Pavakkai; Kakara kayi)

India is known for its multiculturalism. The cuisine is also different in all Indian states.  In Bengali cuisine , the meal starts from a bitter food like boiled or fried bitter gourd or neem leaves or drumstick flowers followed by a vegetable,then dal ,then fish,  mutton and ends up with a sweet note like chutney and dessert. Neem leaves and drumstick flowers are seasonal but bitter gourd is available almost most of the  year so it is served daily. "It's a SuperFood."

Nutritional value: (small variety) (per 100 gms)

Moisture (83.2g) Fat (1g) Calcium (23 mg) 

Has low sodium(2.4mg) and cholesterol. 

Good amount of thiamin(0.07mg), riboflavin(0.06mg), pantothenic acid, dietary fiber(1.7gm), vitamin A,C(96mg),folates,B6,iron(2mg) , phosphorus(38mg), zinc(0.39 mg), potassium(171 mg), manganese(0.08mg).

It is a poor source of magnesium (17 mg)

According to the exchange lists in dietary calculations bitter gourd is a low carbohydrate vegetable providing 7 gms of carbohydrate, 2 gms protein and 32 calories and comes under the category of "other vegetables" and the serving amount is 150 gms. 

Good for health:

Bitter gourd helps in overall health care. 

In Gheranda Samhita, bitter gourd is prescribed in a yogic menu for a yogic practitioner.

Bitter gourd is recommended in Constipation. 

Bitter gourd is considered to be useful in intestinal worm infestations.

Remedy for Piles.

In chronic gastritis, bitter gourd is found useful. 

Bitter gourd is helpful for people suffering from Bile stones.

Very good for people with Diabetes. Juice of the fruit and the leaves is recommended in some cases. Karela bark juice is prescribed in Unani medicine. 

It was found that bitter gourd was effective in lowering blood sugar. The result was reported in the Indian journal of medical research (vol.90.1989).It contains a chemical which acts like insulin. 

People suffering from Rheumatism can have bitter gourd.

Bitter gourd is a good source in prevention of Dietary deficiency anaemia .

Low in calories promotes  weight loss. 

Bitter gourd is allowed in Respiratory disorders and asthma.

It maintains a healthy liver and bladder.

It builds immunity. 

It lowers bad cholesterol. It was found that bitter gourds have a preventive value against lipid peroxidation by hydrogen radicals. Results were published in Fitoterapia (1991)

It prevents cancer. 

It energies naturally. 

It purifies blood.

It is anti-aging. 

It has healing qualities. 

It cures hangovers. 

It is great for eye health. 

It prevents skin problems like rosacea,eczema, acne and deep skin infections. 

Bitter gourd prevents hair problems,  treats dandruff and split ends, treats dry and itchy scalp, treats hair loss, treats rough and tangled hair, treats gray hair and oily hair and makes the hair shiny.

Bitter gourd is allowed for pain sufferers of the neck and lower back.

Eating Bitter gourd 

It should be cooked as a vegetable with seeds. The vegetable should be covered while cooking to avoid the loss of nutrients. Mostly it is soaked in salt water to reduce the bitterness. When young, it may be sliced and preserved after drying for use in the off-season. The fruit is also pickled.

Avoid bitter gourd 

It is better to avoid bitter gourds in  a bland low residue diet. The bland low residue diet is prescribed to patients suffering from Gastrointestinal disorders such as gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, diarrhoea, chronic dysentery, ulcerative colitis and diverticulosis, irritable bowel syndrome. 

It can create Side effects which :

Causes headache 

Causes gastrointestinal problems like nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.

Can cause stomach ulcers.

It might be toxic to children 

Pregnant women should not consume it as it can bring about menstruation and abortion. 

People with Glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency may develop "Favism " after eating its seeds.

It can dangerously lower blood sugar levels. 

It can also interact with some chemotherapy medicines as well as Paclitaxel and vinblastine medicines. 

Mango tree is beneficial too"Aam ke aam guthliyon ke daam "

MANGO 

This word only reminds of a big ripe mango,  just sink your teeth into the flesh and indulge into the juiciness of the delicacy. It's really the best dessert fruit. Just think of summer and the mango. But why only the fruit ?

The huge tree with It's branches open wide to give relief from the scorching heat and give shade to everyone in need .

The whole tree is beneficial for health. According to Ayurveda,  the bark, leaves, shoots, roots , flowers, the unripe fruit, and the ripe fruit are very healthy. 

 Just consult an Ayurveda professional before trying on yourself. 

Mango has its significance in Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Purana .

During religious occasions,  the bunch of leaves or the pallava is placed on the pot .The leaves symbolise life.

Bark is burnt in Havana to purify the air, the wood is used to burn pyres. The wood is used to make durable furniture.

The whole tree is anti viral, anti parasitic, antiseptic, antitussive,antiasthmatics, expectorant,cardiotonic,contraceptive,  aphrodisiac, hypotensive, laxative,beneficial to digestion. 

Mango Leaves 

• Treats diabetes (contains tannins and anthocyanin)

• Treat high uric acid or gout

• Treats unhealthy gums and teeth (mouthwash)

• Refresh the body and relieves restlessness 

• As a fertility drugs 

• Reduce the risk of hypertension 

• Overcomes nervousness 

• Treats gallstones and kidney stones 

• Cures respiratory ailments 

• Cures dysentery 

• Relieves ear pain 

• Heal burns

• Prevent hiccups 

• Strengthen the stomach 

• Good source of vitamins 

• Rich in antioxidants 

• Treating vascular apathies and retinopathy 

Research has been done on young leaves, the effect has been observed in gastrointestinal disorders such as infection due to E.coli, Salmonella typhi NCTC 74, Salmonella typhi 62, Vibrio cholerae 1023 , Salmonella sanei NK 4010.

Mango young leaf shoots 

• Improves taste 

• Useful in anorexia 

• Absorbent, astringent, bowel binding, useful in irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhoea 

• Balance kapha and pitta doshas

 Tender leaves in the form of a powder are believed to be effective against diabetes. 

The local application of the ashes of the leaves is considered to be useful against burns and scalds.

Mango bark

• Absorbent,  bowel binding, useful in IBS, diarrhoea, bleeding from the intestine,  uterus, lungs or piles,for leucorrhoea,skin diseases, inflammation of the throat and nose.

• It is a good tonic. The dose of the liquid extract is 5 to 10 drops.

The bark contains tannin.

Mango root

• Absorbent 

• Bowel binding ,useful in irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhoea 

• Balance kapha and pitta doshas 

Mango flower 

• Detoxify blood. 

• Relieves cold

• Improves taste, appetiser, useful in anorexia. 

• Absorbent, bowel binding, useful in IBS and diarrhoea. 

• Indicated in diarrhoea, dysentery, urinary tract disorders, diabetes.

Dried  Flowers of the mango are prescribed for chronic dysentery and inflammation of the urinary bladder.

Unripe mangoes 

Contains gallic acid in it which imparts a sour taste to the food .

It contains cellulose,  potassium hydroxide, mallic, citric and tartaric acids. 

• Improves taste, useful in anorexia 

• Vitiates vata doshas 

• Increases Pitta doshas 

• May cause blood disorders such as nasal bleeding or heavy periods. 

• Acts as cardiac tonic,  congenial for heart. 

• Improve skin tone and complexion 

• Useful in throat disorders 

• Improve muscle tissues, blood tissues, strengthen immunity. 

Excessive consumption of sour mango fruit causes weak digestion, strength, recurrent chronic fever,vitamin disorders, bleeding disorders, constipation, bloating, eye disorders. 

To counter the side effects ginger water is advised or cumin seeds with sochal salt is advised 

Dry mango powder is useful in constipation. 

Mango seeds 

Indicated vomiting, diarrhoea, burning sensation in chest. 

Mango seed kernel is useful in diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome and relieves burning sensation in the chest.

The mango seed has been described as a valuable remedy for roundworms.

Mango oil

Useful in oral disorders,oral ulcers and bad breath. It has a good smell. Pacifies kapha and vata doshas. 

During excessive external bleeding ,injury and wound, bark, flowers, leaves, seed kernel dry powders are applied externally.  Due to the astringent properties they stop bleeding and heal wounds quickly. 

Mango trees are precious. Due to globalisation,  the big trees are cut down so that the rising human population can accommodate, but we can try to plant it in the garden or road side so that the future generations can benefit from it.

The very special "Aam" fruit , Mango, "The king of fruits"..

The term fruit derives its name from 'fructua' means to enjoy. The edible envelope contains the seeds of a plant or a tree. 

Mango (Mangifera indica) is the best loved and choicest fruits of India and occupies a prominent place among the fruits of the world. It is a tropical fruit available during the hot season. It has been cultivated in India for more than 4000 years and it is believed to have originated from the foothills of Himalayas. 

The fruit is a large drupe in varied shape ,size, colour and flavour. 

The shape is normally round,oval or oblong and the size ranges from small ones to giant ones. 

The skin of the fruit may be thin or thick, leathery, green, yellow or red or a fanciful combination of these colours. The flesh may be whitish, yellow or orange. 

The pulp of some may be fibrous throughout while may be absent or very little in others. The flesh may be firm , soft or juicy or subacid or sweet and richly sweet smelling. 

The fruit contains a solitary seed (stone) ovoid ,oblique enclosed in a hard compressed endocarp. 

About 1000 types of mangoes are grown all over India,  each having its own peculiar smell, taste, flavour and consistency of pulp. The famous and the commercial varieties are Alphanso, Malda, Chousa, Dussehri, Pairi,Neelam, Malgova, Safeda, Banganpalli, Totapuri, Neelam and Langda.

Mango has a rich luscious aromatic flavour and a delicious taste in which sweetness and acidity are delicately blended. This makes the mango fruit one of the most highly prized dessert fruits of the tropics. 

It is the National fruit of India. 

It is commonly eaten in large quantities and provides a good source of calories during the season. It has a subtle astringent taste.

 A whole fruit supplies about 50 to 100 kcal, mainly derived from fructose. These are more than in fruits like oranges and papaya which range from 30 to 40 kcal and slightly less than in the bananas (80 to 150 kcal ) . It supplies about 25 mg vitamin C . Mango contains beta carotene,  a precursor of vitamin A. Carotenoids in mango total 12.5 g per 100 g fresh pulp;about 60% is present as beta carotene, which is higher than in any other fruit. 

A question might arise that how can nutritionists state the exact nutritive value of a particular food? Carotene is estimated by extraction of the total pigments with alcohol and partitioning it with petroleum ether after saponification. The other pigments were removed by treatment with calcium carbonate and the yellow colour was measured as carotene. 

The mango fruit, like most fruits, has low values of protein( 0.6 ) and fats (0.4), 0.4 minerals, 0.7 g fibre, 16.9 carbohydrates, 14 mg calcium, 16 mg phosphorus, 1.3 mg iron per 100 gms.

Nicotinic acid (a vitamin of the B group ) is fairly high in Alphonso mango and vitamin C is high in the Langra mango variety. 

Mango is a good source of copper. (0.11mg/ 100 gms) and fluoride (1.3 ppm/100gms) 

The fruit is considered to be a laxative and to have diuretic properties. 

It is prescribed for increasing the weight particularly in children who are underweight. In the case of infants and very young children who cannot eat and digest leafy vegetables 50 to 100 grams of mangoes can be given. 

The powder of the skin of the unripe fruit is given in dysentery or other disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. It is also given as a cure for excessive menstrual bleeding. 

For skin diseases,  the application of liquid oozing out on cutting the stalk of the fruit, mixed with lime juice is recommended. 

The gum of the tree is also used for skin diseases. 

The local application of the gum resin mixed with lime juice is particularly effective against scabies. 

 The beta carotene of mango acts as an antioxidant by neutralising harmful elements that could damage skin. It acts as an arsenal for eczema.

In view of the demonstration of the protective effect of antioxidants in prevention of cancer and Ischaemic Heart disease special attention needs to be given to mangoes. 

In the Unani system of medicine, the mango fruit is believed to have strong antispasmodic, weight increasing and antipyretic properties. 

Useful in treating disorders of vata doshas imbalance such as neuralgia, paralysis, neuropathy, constipation, bloating, etc.

Nourishing and calming.

Does not increase Pitta.

Improves sperm and semen quantity and quality. 

Improves strength and immunity.

Improves skin quality.

Indicated in excessive thirst and tiredness 

Squeezed mango juice is laxative. 

 Can even be applied over hair to improve shine and strength. 

Adequate intake of Vitamin A not only prevents cancer of the epithelial cells or skin cancer but also reverse it. 

Sweet mango with milk is aphrodisiac. 

Fleshy fruits like mango can be given to patients suffering from ulcerative colitis, irritable colon syndrome, tropical sprue,viral hepatitis, chronic pancreatitis, jaundice, type 1 and 2 nephritis, surgical operation, severe injury. As it is gluten free it can be given in celiac disease. It can be given to children suffering from the first or second stage of cirrhosis of the liver.

The vegetarians obtain the required amount of carotene which is easily supplied by 100 g of mango. 

Among the poor in India, the ingestion of carotene rich mango in season builds up liver stores and helps tide over the deficiency during the rest of the year. The cheaper varieties of mangoes,  which frequently grow wild in villages are the best source of carotenoids but are regrettably becoming scarce. Planting mango trees in scarcity areas will make the most positive long term contribution to alleviating blindness due to vitamin A deficiency. 

The deficiency of vitamin A is common among children of the poor in the country and is a public health problem leading to blindness. As an effective approach to prevent vitamin A deficiency among the children in rural areas daily consumption of mangoes is recommended in the season. A proper and an effective education of the mother in the use of carotene rich foods is essential to fight the deficiency. The advice given to the mothers should be practical and should emphasise the use of carotene rich foods locally available in different seasons and readily acceptable. 

Excessive ingestion of carotene containing mangoes may produce carotenemia. In hypothyroidism and diabetes, carotene is not converted to vitamin A and carotenemia may develop. 

Excess intake may cause indigestion and diarrhoea. 

Some people with a sensitive gastrointestinal tract can react violently to this and should therefore learn from experience the quantity of mango that they can tolerate. 

Mango juice is Not good for the heart in excess amounts. 

Some children are very fond of eating unripe mangoes.  This may aggravate any preexisting inflammation of the throat and the tonsils.

Raw mangoes should be avoided by asthmatics. 

An average mango contains more calories and is usually best avoided in diabetes.  Fibre rich fruits with low glycemic index such as guava, amla, papaya, pomegranate and apple are preferable than fruits such as banana, mango ,custard apple, sapota.

Mangoes have to be avoided by diabetics .If the sugar is controlled, a few pieces of the fruit may be allowed twice a week instead of the regular quota of fruit. 

 Mango is best enjoyed as a dessert fruit. It can be enjoyed as a mango drink,  smoothie, shakes, aamras,aam ki kadhi, salsa,and salad.

Enjoy the summers in India with a glass of chilled mango shake . 

White sugar , oh no!!

It's not the only cause of ill health or diabetes

My granny had about a hundred cousins! ! It's not so surprising. At those times ,about a  century  ago, parents had more than half a dozen children, they further had their families which resulted in so many cousins and siblings. But the amazing fact is that the healthier individuals among them had their average age of eighty-five. I can recall, when I was a child, there were occasional get together and people used to enjoy the meals. Some of them ate about a dozen sweets in a few minutes. They didn't suffer from hypertension, diabetes or these trendy diseases. Both of my grandparents had a natural death due to old age and most of  their siblings are healthy otherwise. Few of them inherited diabetes or hypertension from their parents. But the rest were healthy till they lived.

The reason for their good  health was that they didn't know much about the technology and ate everything that was available at those times. But unfortunately, the availability was lesser than in recent years. They had sugar , fried foods , snacks and savoury but it was not available in the market. Nothing was processed or refined so the snacks and all had to be prepared at home. With so many mouths to feed the portion lessened. Now we have more money than them and fewer people to feed and we can have the big portion for ourselves. We can blame the normal sugar or wheat or rice for our bad health and can indulge in chips , diet foods , ice cream, packets ready to cook and eat. 

So ,is sugar the main culprit or something else?

Does consumption of sugar in tea or coffee lead to high blood sugar levels? 

Not exactly. We consume "hidden sugar " through many food items. But eating sugar doesn't lead to diabetes or high blood sugar.

So what is Diabetes ?

Diabetes or Diabetes Mellitus means diabetes =flow through; mel =honey is a chronic metabolic disorder with a strong hereditary basis associated with high blood sugar and usually with a passage of sugar in the urine.

Classification of Diabetes -

Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus  (IDDM)

Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus  (NIDDM)

Malnutrition related Diabetes Mellitus  (MRDM)

Fibrocalculous Diabetes Mellitus  (FCDM)

Protein Deficient Diabetes Mellitus  (PDDM)

Impaired Glucose Tolerance  (IGT)

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus  (GDM)

The meal should be planned according to the type of diabetes and the herbs and supplements should be taken under the supervision of medical professionals.

Healthy, natural food along with physical activity is best advised. The information on the food packaging is important so it is better to check the labels while shopping.

FRIENDS AT HOME :DRINK HEALTHY

Relatives or friends at home, opt for some health drink instead of soft drinks or cold drinks or bottled juices. They all are laced with sugar , maybe preservatives or acids , etc.

WHAT I DO? (You can give a try)

A simple task. 

Take an empty glass bottle with narrow mouth  (plastic bottle if glass bottle is not available). Wash and dry it in sun. Fill it to the top with crystalline sugar. Squeeze lemon juice  (about 1 kgs of fresh lemon for 1 litre of glass bottle )and pour into  the sugar filled bottle. It's fun to watch the lemon juice finding its way through the sugar crystals . When you pour the juice in, the sugar will settle down to about two third of the height of the bottle . Put the cap tightly and keep it in the sun for two to three days. Shake it twice or thrice a day to dissolve the sugar. After three days , store it in a cool dry place.  It will last for more than a year.

Make a nice refreshing drink by adding  two tablespoons of the lemon squash to a glass of chilled water or cold water. You can also add jaljeera powder or black salt or mint leaves for added flavoured drink.

Because of the high percentage of sugar , no chemical preservative is needed. Safe for kids as well. Lower in calories than the usual soft drinks. No acids or gasses present.

Some simple rules to follow… For you and your child..

It's not very difficult. Just decide

What to feed your child. Just the normal food cooked for the family. The child is a part of the family, why make something special for him. The food should be according to the requirements of the child. Strong flavours and very spicy foods should be avoided. The food should be nutritious. It should be equally  nutritious for the mother and father as well. We all love to munch wafers , chips , enjoy  cold drinks or soft drinks or fruit juice , eat processed ,packaged ,ready to eat but just check that at least the child eats three nutrient rich foods a day. It's not sufficient but nowadays most of us don't even consume three healthy nutrients. If the child eats all the nutrients you are the fortunate mother. The healthy foods which a child as well as you require are whole wheat breads , pulses , dairy and dairy products, green vegetables, yellow or orange vegetables, fresh fruits , nuts , egg or low fat non vegetarian products.

The meal is ready. Where would you and your child eat it? The whole family should eat together without television, mobile phone or any other distraction. It affects the concentration of the child and it affects your weight. The child should be seated on a proper chair or a high chair so that he can eat the food , feel the food ,play with food so that he can enjoy the food. If you can't leave your favourite tv shows , just plate the food in the kitchen according to the requirements  and do not take second helping of the tasty food. When we watch tv or films or the computer we are distracted from the foodstuffs and we don't know how much quantity we have eaten.

Now the most important point is when should you feed the child? As an infant the feeding patterns are different but as the child grows , the meal timing should be fixed according to the family routine. Three major meals , the breakfast, lunch and dinner and two snacks time , midmorning and evening snacks  are suitable for you and the child.  Do not skip breakfast as it is the most important meal. Do not give anything except water between the mealtimes. Children cannot differentiate between hunger and thirst. So providing anything else instead of water will suppress hunger at the meal.

The 3 W's, what ,where and when has to be followed for a healthy child and a healthy you. If we all follow this What Where When I am sure everyone will be fit and healthy. 

ARE THE PRESCHOOLERS GETTING ENOUGH NUTRIENTS ?

In modern India , we have improved. We have improved in food imports and exports , food packaging, food marketing, food supplements and we have improved as a consumer. The packaging is so attractive that we can't resist buying those things. The amazing facts are our generation alpha is the most smarter generation. They watch kids channels, they know each and every advertisement, they shop in the shopping malls and they can fill the carts with all their stuff. Parents are amused. If they don't buy those things , the child will show his best tantrums to annoy the parents .

Earlier the children used to suffer from Protein Energy Malnutrition because there was not enough to eat. Nowadays the children suffer from the same problem because they have surplus products to eat. There is a lack of proper food but a surplus quantity of  readymade foods.

The problem is same as post independence, not only PROTEIN ENERGY MALNUTRITION but MALNUTRITION of vitamin B ,vitamin A ,vitamin C, vitamin D,iron , calcium, minerals.

Malnutrition comprises both undernutrition or overnutrition.

Effect of malnutrition on our Defence Mechanisms

Children mostly suffer from colds and coughs. Antibody formation is low in deficiencies of protein , pyridoxine, pantothenic acid and multiple factors associated with a grossly inadequate diet.

Deficiencies of vitamin A , ascorbic acid , pyridoxine, folic acid , thiamine and riboflavin reduce the activity of phagocytes( cells that protect the body by ingesting bacteria, foreign particles, dead cells).

Changes in the normal intestinal flora induced by diet can influence susceptibility to some intestinal pathogens.

Lysozymes which can destroy pathogenic microorganisms are excreted in tears and sweat. It can reduce vitamin A deficiency. Pantothenic acid deficiency reduces the content of properdin (euglobulin).

Effect of infection on nutritional status

When a child is sick , there is loss of appetite and dislike and even intolerance to  food. Fever increases the basal metabolic rate and the total calorie requirement. A common faulty habit is to avoid milk or dal and  to feed starchy food. Gross underfeeding leads to protein calorie malnutrition in children.

Infections lead to negative nitrogen balance due to increased  nitrogen excretion in the urine. Negative nitrogen balance occurs in common colds, fever, tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, pneumonia, measles, chicken pox , etc. Tonsillitis, staphylococcal abscesses also increase urinary nitrogen. Absorption of protein is affected in diarrhoeal disease. Frequent infection results in continuous protein deficiency.

Blood levels of vitamin A are reduced in several infections. Diarrhoea interfere with the absorption of vitamin B.

Diarrhoeal disease interferes in the absorption of dietary minerals and causes losses of sodium, potassium chloride, calcium and phosphate from the body.

Absorption of fat is also decreased in intestinal infections which provoke diarrhoea.

Reduction of blood glucose levels has been reported in many infections.

Frequent occurrence of infectious disease affects adversely the growth rate of children

The behaviour and learning pattern is also affected due to malnutrition.

Food cannot be substituted for supplements, pills and shakes. Follow a healthy eating pattern with your child to inculcate the habit of healthy eating and to avoid overnutrition and undernutrition. The child should realise the pros and cons of all the foods. They will definitely understand after all they are generation alpha.