To have a glass of juice that retains many nutrients, you should choose 1-2 fresh bitter melons, bright green, with a hard skin and not bruised.
Wash thoroughly, cut in half, remove seeds and white flesh, then cut into thin slices. You can soak in cold water for about 10-15 minutes to reduce the bitterness, but do not soak for too long as it can cause the loss of some water-soluble vitamins.
Put about 150-200 g of bitter melon in a blender with 200 ml of filtered water. After grinding, you can filter or keep the pulp to take advantage of the natural fiber.
To enhance the flavor, you can add a few slices of cucumber or a little lemon juice. Do not add sugar, condensed milk or syrup because it will increase sugar intake and reduce benefits for blood sugar control.
Although it is a natural food, bitter melon still needs to be used in reasonable amounts.
A glass of about 150-200 ml per day is sufficient for healthy adults. Drinking too much can cause bloating, diarrhea or digestive discomfort in some sensitive people.
For people being treated for diabetes with insulin or hypoglycemic drugs, special caution is needed. Some studies and reports show that bitter melon can increase the hypoglycemic effects of the drug, thereby increasing the risk of hypoglycemia if used simultaneously without monitoring.
Therefore, if you want to supplement bitter melon juice regularly, patients should talk to a doctor or nutritionist, and monitor blood sugar to adjust their diet or medication when necessary.
The foundation for controlling diabetes is still a balanced diet, maintaining a reasonable weight, regular physical activity and adherence to treatment.
Bitter melon juice only plays a role when combined with a diet rich in green vegetables, whole grains, beans, fish, lean meat and limiting sugary drinks as well as super processed foods.
In addition, instead of just drinking juice, eating bitter melon in soups, boiled or stir-fried with less oil is also a good choice because it retains more fiber. Fiber helps slow down carbohydrate absorption, contributing to limiting post-eating blood sugar spikes.
