Karela, or bitter gourd, is a strongly bitter gourd very low in calories, supplying vitamin C, folate, and plant compounds studied for effects on blood glucose. It is widely used in Indian and East Asian cooking.
Slice and salt briefly to reduce bitterness, then cook quickly to retain vitamin C.
Where Gourd, karela, raw Stands Out
Macronutrients per 100g
Vitamins & Minerals
| Nutrient | Per 100g | % Daily Value* | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potassium | 330 mg | 17% | |
| Vitamin C | 185 mg | 231% | |
| Vitamin A (RE) | 57.0 µg | 8% | |
| Phosphorus | 48.0 mg | 7% | |
| Folate | 45.0 µg | 23% | |
| Magnesium | 31.0 mg | 8% | |
| Chloride | 21.0 mg | 3% | |
| Calcium | 19.0 mg | 2% | |
| Iron | 1.40 mg | 10% | |
| Niacin equivalents (NE) | 0.700 mg | 4% | |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.400 mg | 3% | |
| Zinc | 0.400 mg | 4% | |
| Manganese | 0.300 mg | 15% | |
| Copper | 0.270 mg | 27% | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.090 mg | 8% | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.050 mg | 4% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.000 µg | 0% | |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.000 µg | 0% | |
| Sucrose | 0.000 g | — | |
| Glucose (dextrose) | 0.000 g | — | |
| Maltose | 0.000 g | — | |
| Fructose | 0.000 g | — | |
| Cholesterol | 0.000 mg | — | |
| Beta-carotene | 295 µg | — | |
| Retinol (vitamin A) | 0.000 µg | 0% |
* % Daily Value is the proportion of an adult
EU Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) supplied by 100g of this food.
NRVs are the labelling standard — the same basis as the “%RI” figures printed on
food packaging — so these percentages are directly comparable with a shop label.
They are a single adult figure and do not vary by age or sex, which is why they
sometimes differ from UK dietary reference values: the NRV for vitamin C is 80mg
where the UK RNI is 40mg. When Nutriofia assesses your own intake in the
reports and trackers, it uses the age- and sex-specific UK values instead.
Fibre is shown without a percentage. Our fibre values use the UK
Englyst NSP method, while the published 30g daily goal is an AOAC figure — the two
are measured differently and a single percentage would mislead.
How we source and normalise our data →