In this Article ... Bitter gourd is a green-skinned vegetable with white to translucent flesh and a taste that fits its name. Unless you grew up with bitter ...Diet&WeightManagementHomeNewsReferenceSlideshowsQuizzesVideosQuestions&AnswersDietPlansA-ZPopularDietPlansHealthyWeightToolsandCalculatorsHealthyEating&NutritionBest&WorstChoicesAllGuideTopicsRelatedTopicsWeightLoss&ObesityFitness&ExerciseFood&RecipesFoodCalculatorBMICalculatorDiabetesCholesterolManagementMoreRelatedTopicsDiet&WeightManagementReferenceInthisArticleInthisArticleInthisArticleHealthBenefitsNutrientsperServingHowtoPrepareBitterGourdBittergourdisagreen-skinnedvegetablewithwhitetotranslucentfleshandatastethatfitsitsname.Unlessyougrewupwithbittergourdaspartofyourregulardiet,itmighttakeyouawhiletowarmuptothebitterflavor.Bittergourdisalsoavegetableofmanynames.Itisequallyknownasbittermelon,bittercucumber,balsam-pear,bitterapple,orbittersquash.ThisvegetableisalsocalledkarelainIndia,nigauriinJapan,goyainOkinawa,ampalayainthePhilippines,andku-guathroughoutChina. MomordicacharantialikelyoriginatedineasternIndiaorsouthernChina.Itfavorshotandhumidclimateswithplentyofsunshineandregularwateraccess.Today,youcanfindbittergourdgrowinginfieldsacrossAsia,thoughithasalsobecomepopularintheCaribbeanandSouth America.Thereareseveralvarietiesofbittergourd,butthetwomostcommonareChinesebittergourdandIndianbittergourd.TheChinesevarietymorecloselyresemblesapalegreencucumberwithcrimped,bumpyskin.TheIndianvarietyhasnarrow,taperedendsandsharp,angledridgesalloveritssurface.Thedifferencesbetweenthesevarietiesaremostlyvisual,andbothoffersimilarflavorandhealthbenefits.HealthBenefitsAsarichsourceofantioxidants,flavonoids,andotherpolyphenolcompounds,bittergourdmayhelptoreduceyourrisksforanumberofhealthissues.FightsinflammationBittergourdispackedwithpolyphenols.Thesecompoundsareknownfortheirabilitytolowerinflammationinthebody.Themoreofthemthereare,thegreatertheanti-inflammatoryeffectscouldbe.DiabetesmanagementBittergourdcontainsbioact