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Bitter melon vs. Lotus root — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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What are the main differences between bitter melon and lotus root?

  • Bitter melon is richer in vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin A, folate, magnesium, manganese, iron, and vitamin B2, yet lotus root is richer in vitamin B5 and copper.
  • Bitter melon's daily need coverage for vitamin C is 49% higher.

We used Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), leafy tips, raw and Lotus root, raw types in this comparison.

Infographic

Bitter melon vs Lotus root infographic
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Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 61% 25% 54% 77% 67% 8.2% 42% 1.4% 70% 4.9%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 16% 14% 49% 44% 86% 11% 43% 5.2% 34% 3.8%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +269.6%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +86.7%
Contains more IronIron +75.9%
Contains less SodiumSodium -72.5%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +105.4%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +28.6%
Contains more CopperCopper +27.9%
Contains more ZincZinc +30%
~equal in Potassium ~556mg
~equal in Phosphorus ~100mg

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 293% 29% 0% 0% 45% 84% 21% 3.8% 185% 0% 0% 96% 0%
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 147% 0% 0% 0% 40% 51% 7.5% 23% 60% 0% 0% 9.8% 0%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +100%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +13.1%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +64.5%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +177.5%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +211.2%
Contains more FolateFolate +884.6%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +498.4%
~equal in Vitamin E ~mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin K ~µg
~equal in Choline ~mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
5% 3% 89%
Protein: 5.3 g
Fats: 0.69 g
Carbs: 3.29 g
Water: 89.25 g
Other: 1.47 g
3% 17% 79%
Protein: 2.6 g
Fats: 0.1 g
Carbs: 17.23 g
Water: 79.1 g
Other: 0.97 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +103.8%
Contains more FatsFats +590%
Contains more WaterWater +12.8%
Contains more OtherOther +51.5%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +423.7%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Bitter melon Lotus root
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal
Lower in Sugar Equal
Lower in price Equal
Rich in minerals Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Bitter melon Lotus root DV% diff.
Vitamin C 88mg 44mg 49%
Vitamin B6 0.803mg 0.258mg 42%
Folate 128µg 13µg 29%
Fiber 4.9g 20%
Magnesium 85mg 23mg 15%
Manganese 0.536mg 0.261mg 12%
Iron 2.04mg 1.16mg 11%
Vitamin B2 0.362mg 0.22mg 11%
Vitamin A 87µg 0µg 10%
Vitamin B5 0.063mg 0.377mg 6%
Copper 0.201mg 0.257mg 6%
Carbs 3.29g 17.23g 5%
Protein 5.3g 2.6g 5%
Calcium 84mg 45mg 4%
Vitamin B3 1.11mg 0.4mg 4%
Calories 30kcal 74kcal 2%
Vitamin B1 0.181mg 0.16mg 2%
Potassium 608mg 556mg 2%
Sodium 11mg 40mg 1%
Zinc 0.3mg 0.39mg 1%
Fats 0.69g 0.1g 1%
Net carbs 3.29g 12.33g N/A
Phosphorus 99mg 100mg 0%
Selenium 0.9µg 0.7µg 0%
Saturated fat 0.03g 0%
Monounsaturated fat 0.02g 0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.02g 0%
Tryptophan 0.02mg 0%
Threonine 0.051mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.054mg 0%
Leucine 0.069mg 0%
Lysine 0.094mg 0%
Methionine 0.022mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.047mg 0%
Valine 0.055mg 0%
Histidine 0.038mg 0%

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Bitter melon Lotus root
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
58%
Bitter melon
26%
Lotus root
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
41%
Bitter melon
30%
Lotus root

Comparison summary

Which food contains less Sodium?
Bitter melon
Bitter melon contains less Sodium (difference - 29mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Bitter melon
Bitter melon is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 0.03g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Bitter melon
Bitter melon is lower in glycemic index (difference - 33)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Bitter melon
Bitter melon is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
Which food contains less Sugar?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Sugar ( g)
Which food is cheaper?
?
The foods are relatively equal in price ($)
Which food is richer in minerals?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Bitter melon - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168391/nutrients
  2. Lotus root - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169250/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.