Bitter gourd Nutrition facts
Bitter gourd
Bitter gourd (balsam pear/ bitter melon) is a young, tender, edible fruit-pod in the Momordica genus of climbing vines. Although its bitter taste might turn some people away, nonetheless, it truly can sweeten your health through virtue of its disease-preventing and health-promoting phytochemical compounds.
Botanically, balsam pears belong to the Cucurbitaceae family, in the genus; Momordica, and are member of the same family as squash, watermelon, cantaloupes, cucumber, etc, belongs to.
Scientific name: Momordica charantia. Some of the related varieties are balsam pear, cundeamor, la-kwa, etc.
| Nutrition Principle | Nutrition Value | Percentage of RDA |
|---|---|---|
| Principle | ||
| Energy | 17 Kcal | <1% |
| Carbohydrates | 3.70 g | 3% |
| Protein | 1.00 g | 2% |
| Total Fat | 0.17 g | 0.5% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.80 g | 7% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Folates | 72 µg | 18% |
| Niacin | 0.400 mg | 2.5% |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.212 mg | 4% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.043 mg | 3% |
| Riboflavin | 0.040 mg | 3% |
| Thiamin | 0.040 mg | 3.5% |
| Vitamin A | 471 IU | 16% |
| Vitamin C | 84 mg | 140% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 5 mg | <1% |
| Potassium | 296 mg | 6% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 19 mg | 2% |
| Copper | 0.034 mg | 4% |
| Iron | 0.43 mg | 5% |
| Magnesium | 17 mg | 4% |
| Manganese | 0.089 mg | 4% |
| Zinc | 0.80 mg | 7% |
| Phyto-nutrients | ||
| Carotene-ß | 190 µg | -- |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 170 µg | -- |