People with diabetes often eat extra bitter gourd to keep their blood sugar under control, sometimes as juice and sometimes fried or in curry. Beyond diabetic patients, many people also cook bitter gourd curry and broth for relief in the heat. The vegetable has many benefits, but eating too much of it can be a cause of danger. According to a report in the Indian newspaper The Hindustan Times, a habit of eating too much bitter gourd can lead to serious harm to the liver and intestines.
The harm too much bitter gourd can cause
A dangerous drop in blood sugar
A major property of bitter gourd is that it lowers blood sugar. But if you regularly take sugar medication and also eat bitter gourd or its juice in excess, your blood glucose can fall far below normal. In medical terms, this is called hypoglycemia. It can cause sudden dizziness, trembling, palpitations and heavy sweating. The patient can even faint.
Damage to the liver
Bitter gourd contains a protein called momordicin. Eaten in excess, this compound abnormally increases the secretion of liver enzymes. This can cause inflammation in liver cells. Over the long term, the habit destroys the liver’s function. Doctors call this liver toxicity, or damage to the liver. Diarrhea and severe stomach problems
Bitter gourd contains large amounts of fiber and laxative compounds. But eating too much of it disrupts the working of the stomach. This can cause sharp cramping pain in the abdomen, indigestion, gas and repeated loose stools or diarrhea. Those with sensitive stomachs in particular should avoid eating too much bitter gourd. Harmful for pregnant women
Eating too much bitter gourd is extremely dangerous for pregnant women. Some of the active compounds in bitter gourd can cause the uterus to contract. This can trigger bleeding during pregnancy and, in extreme cases, carries the risk of a serious accident such as a miscarriage. So before adding bitter gourd to the diet during pregnancy, a gynecologist’s advice should always be sought.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report