Bitter melons, also known as bitter gourds or balsam pears, sometimes make news for their potential to treat diabetes patients or lower the risk of cancer. While more research needs to be done on the specific medicinal compounds within bitter melons, people continue to utilize the fruit as a nutritious vegetable-like food crop. Cooks blanch bitter melon to remove some bitterness, then either stir-fry, bake or steam the fruit, often with garlic or chili peppers. Choose green melons if you prefer a strong taste, or the riper yellow-orange fruits for a milder taste.
General Information
A 1-cup serving of cooked bitter melon has 24 calories and no fat. The serving also contains 1 g protein and 5.4 g carbohydrates. The fruits are virtually sodium-free and -- as the bitter taste indicates -- low in sugar.
Fiber
Each cup of cooked bitter melon offers 10 percent of the dietary fiber you need each day. Getting enough fiber in your diet promotes proper digestion, lowers cholesterol and stabilizes blood sugar. It might also promote weight loss by helping you feel fuller more quickly, notes the Mayo Clinic.
Vitamin C
While cooking diminishes some of the vitamin C content of bitter melon, 1 cup still provides 68 percent of the recommended daily value, or DV, for vitamin C, which bolsters the immune system and helps your body build collagen. Vitamin C also helps your body absorb iron from other foods.
Folate
You'll get about 16 percent of the DV for folate from a 1-cup serving of cooked bitter melon. Folate is especially important for pregnant women because it promotes healthy cell development in fetuses. Folate, a B vitamin, also supports healthy nerve function and prevents vitamin deficiency anemia.
Potassium
Each cup of cooked bitter melon delivers 11 percent of the potassium you need each day. Potassium encourages optimal electrolyte balance, lowers blood pressure, and supports proper nerve and muscle function.
Additional Nutrients
Along with its high levels of vitamin C, folate and potassium, each cup of cooked bitter melon provides at least 2 percent of the daily values for Vitamin A, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and manganese. It's also a good source of B vitamins other than folate, including B-5, B-6, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin.
Bitter Melon Leaves
According to the University of California, some people eat the leaves of the bitter melon plant. Steaming is a typical preparation for the cooked green. A 1-cup serving of bitter melon leaves is significantly higher than the same amount of bitter melon fruit in vitamins A, B-6, riboflavin, thiamine, magnesium and manganese. The leaves are also good sources of vitamin C, folate and potassium.
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