Bitter Melon as a Cucurbit Plant: The Dangers of Eating Too Much and Food Taboos
Many people dislike bitter melon and cannot accept its bitter taste, not realizing that it is an ingredient rich in nutritional value.It can not only clear heat and detoxify, but also reduce inflammation and bring down fever, and it is also a weight-loss vegetable that many women are keen on. So bitter melon generally how is it eaten to taste good? What are the harms of eating too much? What foods can it not be eaten with?
I. The Benefits and Effects of Bitter Melon
1. In summer, applying iced bitter melon to the face is cool and comfortable, and beautifies and nourishes the skin.
As for whether it can be mashed into juice and applied to the back to treat prickly heat, this is generally talked about more among the folk, and it is better not to use it specifically. Moreover, eczema and prickly heat are difficult to distinguish, so one should not misuse it oneself, and it is better to see a doctor. At the same time, those allergic to bitter melon should use it with caution.
2. It improves one's appetite, especially if one has no appetite in the hot summer, stir-frying a plate of bitter melon can whet the appetite.
3. It relieves summer heat, clears liver fire and relieves eye fatigue.
There is one point to explain here: bitter melon is only a suitable vegetable for diabetic patients, and it cannot.
II. How to Eat Bitter Melon
1. Stir-Fried Bitter Melon with Green Peppers
Clean the bitter melon thoroughly, remove the pith and slice it; wash the green peppers and cut them into shreds, preferably removing the pepper seeds; prepare minced scallion, ginger and garlic; after the wok is heated, add vegetable oil, put the scallion, ginger and garlic into the wok and stir-fry until fragrant; add the bitter melon and stir-fry over high heat until it changes color, then add the seasoning light soy sauce; add the green peppers, add an appropriate amount of salt and stir-fry until cooked, then it is ready to serve.
2. Stir-Fried Bitter Melon with Meat
Buy pork, cut it up and marinate it with light soy sauce for a while and set aside; clean the bitter melon thoroughly and cut it into pieces; after the wok is heated, add oil and stir-fry the lean meat; after the pork changes color, add the bitter melon and seasonings; step five, once the bitter melon changes color, it is ready to serve and eat.
3. Bitter Melon with Wood Ear Mushroom
Wash the bitter melon and slice it, trying not to make it too thick, and soak the wood ear mushroom in water and set aside; blanch the bitter melon in water; prepare minced scallion, ginger and garlic; mix the seasonings, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, aged vinegar, salt, sugar, sesame oil; drizzle over the bitter melon and wood ear mushroom and mix well.
Tip: If you want to reduce the bitterness of bitter melon, we can marinate it with salt for a while after slicing it. When selecting bitter melon, we can buy ones with a relatively smooth skin, which are not so bitter.
III. What Are the Harms of Eating Too Much Bitter Melon?
If bitter melon is eaten in excess, the oxalic acid in bitter melon will make calcium absorption poor. Bitter melon is cooling in nature, and eating too much may cause abdominal discomfort.
IV. What Foods Can Bitter Melon Not Be Eaten With?
1. Raw bitter melon + raw cucumber
Bitter melon is rich in vitamin C, while cucumber contains its decomposing enzyme, and if these are eaten raw together it will affect the absorption of nutrients.
2. Bitter melon + pork belly
Bitter melon is cooling in nature, while pork belly is too greasy, and it will cause diarrhea.
V. Who Is Not Suited to Eating Bitter Melon?
Pregnant women and people with poor digestion are not advised to eat too much bitter melon.
VI. Can Eating Bitter Melon Help with Weight Loss?
In the weight-loss world, there are indeed many claims about losing weight by eating bitter melon, but losing weight by relying only on eating bitter melon is not only bad for the body, but also carries a risk of rebounding.