Bitter melon reduces belly fat and aids on overall weight loss
I just met a woman who swears that she lost her belly fat drinking bitter melon tea. So, I did some research on this. This is a funny-looking green vegetable you can find in Chinese grocery stores. Bitter melon has been used as medicine in China since the 14th century.
It has been known to strengthen immune system, prevent diabetes, lower cholesterol for heart health and also to have strong antioxidant effects. A research showed that consuming a capsule containing 4.8 grams of bitter melon extract daily led to significant decreases in belly fat.
Participants lost an average of 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) from their waste circumference after seven weeks (Reference). If I can go from 27 inches to 26 inches, I would be dang happy.
First of all, it is high in fiber and low in calories.
Second, Carnitine, an insulin-like compound found in bitter melon, plays a critical role in energy production. It boosts metabolism and deceases the amount of sugar your body stores, resulting in weight loss. With higher level of Carnitine, body burns fat more efficiently. It helps reduce belly fat.
It also excellent skin benefits. Its cold (Chi) property prevents the skin from getting dry during Summer time. Especially, it has high content of Vitamin C (93% of the RDI) and Vitamin A (44% of the RDI) in one cup of bitter melon(94g).
In addition, it contains a lot of minerals such as Calcium, Iron, Kalium, Manganese, etc., which are beneficial for controlling blood pressure.
It is also known to aid digestion.
How to eat bitter melon:
1. Tea: Clean fresh bitter melon and slice them thin. Boil them in water for 10-15 minutes and drink a cup of this water after meals. You can eat the remaining slices if you like. 
2. Cook: Cut it in half and remove inner seeds with a kitchen knife. Slice and soak them in cold salt water for 5 minutes to eliminate its bitter taste. Put olive oil in a pan and fry them with other vegetable like carrots or peppers.
3. Smoothie: Cut it in half and slice. Soak them in salt water for 5 minutes. Mix with ½ banana + 1 Cup milk and blend.
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