Karela, or bitter melon, is much known for its numerous benefits. The peculiarity of the fruit has been associated with a wide range of health benefits. One of them is the possibility of losing weight. Karela juice can be hugely used in daily life. Anyone interested in taking karela juice should know how much they need to take it, their benefits, and side effects. In this article, we’ll dip into further details on how much karela juice should be taken in a day to lose weight effectively.
Why Karela Juice is Effective for Weight Loss
Karela juice contains so many vitamins and minerals that support general health, not forgetting losing weight. Major active components that make karela a potent weight loss drink include:
Low Calorie: Karela is technically low in calories, hence the best addition to your diet for weight loss.
It contains high amounts of dietary fiber, promoting digestive abilities, satisfaction, and lessening hunger.
Active Ingredients: Karela contains several bioactive compounds including charantin and polypeptide-p that have antidiabetic activity and the vicine responsible for fat-reducing activity.
Improves Metabolism: If consumed daily, karela juice improves your metabolic levels and speeds up the breaking of stored fats.
How Much Karela Juice Should You Drink Daily?
Pure karela juice of about 100-150 ml a day is considered for maximum weight loss. In this way, active constituents can be effectively used with no adverse reaction. One can safely include karela juice in diet following these guidelines:
1. Start with a Smaller Quantity
Since you are having karela juice for the very first time, start with 50 ml a day so that your body might get used to these bitter tastes and effects. Gradually increase the quantity from 100-150 ml in one week or two.
2. Best Time to Drink Karela Juice
Karela juice is usually best taken in the morning when your stomach is empty. This should be taken early in the day to maximize the absorption of its nutrients and get a kick-start metabolism that welcomes weight loss.
3. Frequency of Consumption
For consistent outcomes, you can take it every day. That aside, if it is too hard to assimilate, you could always consume it 3-4 times in a week with significant benefits.
See Also: Is Sugarcane Juice Healthy for Weight Loss?
How to Prepare Karela Juice
Preparation of freshly extracted karela juice is as important to reap its maximum benefits. Here’s an easy step-by-step guide for you:
Select Fresh Bitter Melons: Select fresh, firm, and dark green karelas.
Rinse and Peel: Rinse the karela under running water and remove the thick outer skin if desired.
Remove Seeds: Open the karela and remove the seeds.
Blend or Juice: Chop up the karela into small pieces and then blend it with a little quantity of water. Then, strain to remove the pulp and extract pure juice.
Taste Enhancers: To give a better taste, add lemon juice, ginger, or a pinch of salt.
Nutritional Profile of Karela Juice
A 100 ml serving of karela juice typically contains:
- Calories: Approximately 20 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 4 grams
- Dietary Fiber: 3 grams
- Vitamin C: 84 mg (140% of the daily requirement)
- Potassium: 296 mg
- Calcium: 19 mg
This nutrient-dense profile helps maintain overall health while promoting weight loss.
Health Benefits Beyond Weight Loss
In addition to aiding weight loss, karela juice offers several other health benefits:
1. Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
This Karela juice has been used for many years as a treatment for diabetes management. The presence of compounds such as charantin and polypeptide-p lowers the amount of blood sugar, and thus, it is prescribed to those type 2 diabetic patients.
2. Boosts Immunity
The presence of a high level of vitamin C and antioxidants boost up the immunity power keeping diseases away.
3. Promotes Liver Health
This drink is known to improve the health of the liver through the consumption of the juice of Karela.
Karela juice acts as a natural detoxifying agent and helps the liver function through detoxification. It also increases the secretion of bile which aids in easy digestion if the health is good.
4. Improves Skin Health
Antioxidants will help in the fight against free radicals that cause damage to the skin and, therefore, give a glowing complexion.
Precautions and Potential Side Effects
Although karela juice is highly beneficial, caution must be taken and awareness should be created over the possibility of side effects:
Digestive Disturbance: It might lead to slight stomach unrest or diarrhea in case taken in excess.
Blood Sugar: Diabetic patients need to take a precaution not to fall under hypoglycemia as their sugar level drops sharply.
Pregnancy Warning: Pregnant women are advised to strictly avoid karela juice as it may cause uterine contraction.
Tips for Making Karela Juice More Palatable
Karela juice can be a bit bitter for some. Here is how you can make the taste more endearing.
Mix with Other Juices: Mixed with cucumber or carrot juice, karela juice tastes mild.
Add Lemon or Honey: A few drops of lemon juice or a tsp of honey can neutralize the bitter taste.
Chill the Juice: Serve well-chilled to make it refreshing and enjoyable to drink.
Conclusion
An easy way to incorporate karela juice in your daily routine is by adding 100-150 ml. It’s a great addition in any weight management program for the nutritional profile coupled with a low-calorie count. The following points are to be kept in mind: always start with a small amount and then gradually increase so there are no ill effects. The best results would come when paired up with a balanced diet along with regular exercise.