Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is not a common fruit that you’ll find, and although it has the name melon it is closer in flavor to a vegetable.
Because of this fact, many people aren’t aware of how much of it is ok to eat or drink as tea, and if there are any negative effects from consuming too much of it.
So, in this article, I will explain if there is a maximum amount of this tea you can drink in a day.
So, how much bitter melon juice to drink daily?
As a general rule, you can consume as much bitter melon tea or charantia extract as you like during the day.
Medical experts recommend consuming no more than 3 ounces (100 mL) of bitter melon juice/bitter gourd juice, or half a cup of bitter melon juice per day.
This equals about 20 cups of bitter melon tea.
Another metric that medical professionals give is to consume one small-sized bitter gourd per day.
This tea only contains a very small amount of actual bitter gourd, and for that reason, you can drink an unlimited amount per day, and not consume more than the recommended amount.
Today, I will explain if you can drink bitter melon tea every day, how much bitter melon is too much, and if it has any side effects.
How Often Should You Drink Bitter Melon Tea?
This tea from charantia extract is high in a few beneficial vitamins and minerals, and you may take such a liking to it that you want to drink it every day.
However, you may be wondering if there are any drawbacks to drinking it every day, and if is it ok to do so.
I did some research and here’s what I found.
It’s fine to take bitter gourd tea every day. It doesn’t have hypoglycemic effects such as blood sugar control.
The concern with some fruits and vegetables is that they contain a lot of certain nutrients which can give you too much, and cause negative health conditions.
But, bitter melon(healthcare provider) and its tea don’t contain very high amounts of any nutrients.
How To Make Bitter Melon Tea?
Tea made from a bitter gourd is simple to prepare at home.
Bitter gourd slices, water, and, if desired, any natural sweetener such as honey or agave syrup are all that are required to make the herbal brew.
Tea can also be brewed from dried bitter gourd leaves, but the bitter gourd itself is more readily available and therefore should be used.
Simply bring water to a boil and add dry or dehydrated karela slices to create this tea.
Allow the water to boil over medium heat for 10 minutes so that the bitter gourd’s nutrients can permeate it.
Take the water away from the heat and steep the slices in it for an additional minute.
The liquid of the pot should be filtered into a separate teapot or separate cups.
Add honey or another sweetener to give the tea flavor, and you’re done!
Benefits Of Bitter Melon Tea
As you may know, another name for bitter melon is a bitter gourd, balsam pear, bitter apple, and bitter squash. (Bitter melon supplementation)
Bitter gourd is a bitter vegetable.
Although some people call it a vegetable because of its savory taste, it is in fact a fruit.
It’s fine to drink bitter gourd tea every day.
Here’s a breakdown of the nutrients found in half a cup of chopped bitter melon (gourd).
Traditional Chinese medicine, and ayurvedic medicine claim that bitter melon tea can alleviate the symptoms of stomach heat. There is a vast range of bitter melon tea benefits. (source).
But, one of the best health benefits of bitter gourd or bitter melon extracts is to get beneficial nutrients not found in high amounts in other fruits and vegetables.
It can be made by simply cutting up some bitter melon and pouring some boiling water over it.
Or, you can put it in a pot with some boiling water or hot water over medium heat, and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Traditional medicine can sometimes be a bit hit-and-miss because it generally relies on anecdotal evidence.
So, I wanted to see what nutrients are found in bitter gourd.
Here’s a table that shows a breakdown of what nutrients are in half a cup of chopped bitter gourd:
Nutrient | Percentage of recommended daily intake per 100g |
Protein | 1.64% |
Fat | 6.16% |
Carbs | 0.02% |
Fiber, total dietary | 0.08% |
Sugars | 0.08% |
Calcium, Ca | 0.36% |
Magnesium, Mg | 4.00% |
Phosphorus, P | 5.00% |
Potassium, K | 6.57% |
Sodium, Na | 5.57% |
Zinc, Zn | 6.82% |
Copper, Cu | 2.29% |
Vitamin C | 35.44% |
Thiamin (Vitamin B1) | 4.90% |
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) | 4.00% |
Niacin (Vitamin B3) | 1.70% |
Vitamin B-6 | 0.43% |
Vitamin A | 1.89% |
Vitamin E | 28.67% |
Vitamin K | 7.00% |
Therefore, if you’re looking to increase your fiber intake, a whole bitter gourd is a better option.
Consumption of bitter gourd juice/bitter melon juice will give you all the benefits of consuming bitter melon on its own but it doesn’t contain any fiber and maybe it causes body weight gain.
However, juicing fruit or vegetables removes about 90% of the dietary fiber.
With that said, drinking bitter gourd tea is a good way to get the nutrients of bitter gourd fruit.
But, one cup of bitter melon tea only contains a very minor amount of the nutrients in the actual fruit.
A major reason is that most of the nutrients are kept in the fruit and don’t come out when it’s made into tea.
Making it into tea from Bitter melon fruit doesn’t change the flavor very much and only weakens it.
With that said, it has an acquired taste.
To improve the taste lemon juice is a great option, and can be added to Bitter Melon Juice/bitter gourd Juice.
It makes it extremely sour and masks the bitter taste.
Bitter gourd can also be cooked.
Here’s a video that shows some ways that you can cook it:
How Much Bitter Melon Is Too Much?
Consumption of bitter gourd and bitter gourd tea is reported to be good for your health.
But, most foods consumed in excess can have negative effects.
Therefore, here’s a summary of how much bitter melon is too much.
More than 10 oz (300g) of bitter melon is too much.
If you consume more than that, you will be getting more than the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, and vitamin E.
In the mini-review, Too much vitamin C has a laxative effect, and too much vitamin E can have adverse effects on health such as an increased risk of stroke and plasma glucose level.
It is thought to be native to China but is known to be grown in East Africa, the rest of Asia, and the northern part of South America.
In Western countries, it is generally only found in Asian markets.
However, it’s very easy to find in Asian countries.
Too much bitter melon or bitter melon tea can have both significant adverse effects, and minor negative effects.
It can affect digestive function, and cause digestive issues such as an upset stomach, and abdominal pain.
This is due to the high amounts of certain nutrients that can affect the digestive system negatively.
On the flip side, one of the medicinal properties of bitter gourd tea is that it has antioxidant activities.
Antioxidants are good at reducing free radicals, which are linked to coronary disease, the health of kidney tissue, blood circulation, heart health, weight loss, and affects renal function.
But, the benefits of bitter gourd include improving the immune system and reducing the risk of tumor growth, kidney stones, liver damage, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, heart attack, and the growth and health of red blood cells.
Other ways of consuming bitter melon and getting the benefits
There are also bitter melon extract and bitter melon supplements such as charantia fruit extract or bitter melon seeds available from health stores.
These herbal supplements and bitter melon extract can be a more convenient way to consume bitter melon.
And you can buy karela juice which is a pre-made drink sold in bottles that are made with bitter gourd mixed with water. It controls Antibacterial activity in your body.
This is an easy way to get a single dose or a good dose of nutrients in bitter melon.
Another option is to dry this tea, and then use it to make a herbal tea made out of it.
This can be done by drying sliced bitter gourd in the sun or using a dehydrator.
According to clinical studies and animal studies, the beneficial effects are more pronounced if you take bitter gourd or its tea on an empty stomach.
Healthy blood sugar levels are impacted by sugar consumption.
And has inflammatory properties that can cause a wide variety of health issues.
Moreover, a High-Fat Diet can also lead to an increase in cholesterol levels. The increased cholesterol level leads to body weight gain.
As per clinical studies, high amounts of sugar consumption can also cause glucose tolerance, according to medical professionals.
Moreover, such high sugar consumption is not good for diabetic patients. However, this tea controls Antibacterial activity in your body and good glycemic control.
This in turn affects insulin resistance, which can lead to high blood glucose levels, has a hypoglycemic effect, and requires diabetes treatment for diabetic patients.
The treatment of diabetes requires diabetes medication that helps create low blood sugar or blood glucose level.
But, bitter melon supplementation has been shown to help.
It was shown in a study published in The Journal of Ethnopharmacology Bitter Melon.
According to the Journal Of Ethnopharmacology, it has a minor effect on treating diabetes.
Therefore, it’s not very effective for diabetes as alternative medicine.
Does Bitter Melon Have Side Effects?
It is typically not available at your local store, and you need to go to a specialty Asian grocer or health food store to get it.
For these reasons, it’s not very common and most people aren’t aware of whether it has any negative effects such as breast cancer cells can be affected.
So, here’s a rundown of bitter melon tea side effects after consuming bitter melon.
It does not have any side effects provided you don’t consume more than 10 oz (300g) per day.
Consuming more than that will cause you to consume more than the recommended daily intake of vitamins C and E, which has acute and long-term health effects.
This is equivalent to about 1.5 cups of chopped bitter gourd.
Another healthy tea is green tea.
But, like drinking too much bitter gourd tea, it can also have negative effects.
I explained and give a mini review on the benefits of green tea, and whether you can drink it every day in this article about whether green tea can cause diarrhea.
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