Bitter gourd
What it is
Bitter gourd is a vegetable fruit also called balsam pear. Reference food: Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt.
What it does
For this named food form, USDA lists 19 kcal, 0.84 g protein, 0.18 g total fat, 4.32 g carbohydrate per 100 g edible portion. The table describes composition rather than a recommended serving or a clinical effect.
Research context and ingredient forms
These are historical SR Legacy data from April 2018, published in FoodData Central in 2019. Variety, water content, preparation, and recipe can change the result. Scale a matching food by edible portion grams divided by 100; do not transfer the values to a different form.
Using this information
This profile covers boiled pods. It cannot establish the dose, safety, or effect of bitter-gourd extracts marketed for blood sugar.
Food sources and composition
| Nutrient | Amount and serving basis | Food and source |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 19 kcal per 100 g edible portion | Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt; Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Protein | 0.84 g per 100 g edible portion | Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt; Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Total lipid (fat) | 0.18 g per 100 g edible portion | Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt; Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 4.32 g per 100 g edible portion | Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt; Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Fiber, total dietary | 2 g per 100 g edible portion | Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt; Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Calcium, Ca | 9 mg per 100 g edible portion | Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt; Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Iron, Fe | 0.38 mg per 100 g edible portion | Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt; Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Magnesium, Mg | 16 mg per 100 g edible portion | Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt; Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Potassium, K | 319 mg per 100 g edible portion | Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt; Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 33 mg per 100 g edible portion | Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt; Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
Scientific Research & References
- Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
2019 · USDA Agricultural Research Service
Limitations: Historical food-form-specific composition, not a current brand label. Values may be analytical, calculated or imputed; missing nutrients are omitted, not assumed zero.
Source assessment recorded.
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Legacy Release: Documentation
2018 · USDA Agricultural Research Service
Limitations: Historical dataset; values may be analytical, calculated, imputed, or assumed zero. Not clinical-outcome evidence.
Source assessment recorded.
Related dictionary entries
Products containing it
No label-specific product relationship has been reviewed for this entry.