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Bitter melon vs. Nopales — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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A recap on differences between Bitter melon and Nopales

  • Bitter melon has more Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B2, Iron, Copper, Vitamin B1, Phosphorus, and Potassium, however, Nopales are higher in Calcium.
  • Bitter melon covers your daily Vitamin C needs 87% more than Nopales.
  • Nopales contain 43 times less Folate than Bitter melon. Bitter melon contains 128µg of Folate, while Nopales contain 3µg.

Food varieties used in this article are Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), leafy tips, raw and Nopales, raw.

Infographic

Bitter melon vs Nopales 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 37% 49% 23% 22% 17% 6.8% 6.9% 2.7% 60% 3.8%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +63.5%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +136.6%
Contains more IronIron +245.8%
Contains more CopperCopper +286.5%
Contains more ZincZinc +20%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +518.8%
Contains less SodiumSodium -47.6%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +17.3%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +28.6%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +95.2%

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% 104% 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 31% 27% 0% 0% 3% 9.5% 7.7% 10% 16% 0% 13% 2.3% 4%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +846.2%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +279.4%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +1408.3%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +782.9%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +170.7%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +1047.1%
Contains more FolateFolate +4166.7%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +165.1%
~equal in Vitamin E ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

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% 94%
Protein: 1.32 g
Fats: 0.09 g
Carbs: 3.33 g
Water: 94.12 g
Other: 1.14 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +301.5%
Contains more FatsFats +666.7%
Contains more OtherOther +28.9%
~equal in Carbs ~3.33g
~equal in Water ~94.12g

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 Nopales
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in minerals ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal
Lower in price Equal
Rich in vitamins Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Bitter melon Nopales Opinion
Calories 30kcal 16kcal Bitter melon
Protein 5.3g 1.32g Bitter melon
Fats 0.69g 0.09g Bitter melon
Vitamin C 88mg 9.3mg Bitter melon
Net carbs 3.29g 1.13g Bitter melon
Carbs 3.29g 3.33g Nopales
Magnesium 85mg 52mg Bitter melon
Calcium 84mg 164mg Nopales
Potassium 608mg 257mg Bitter melon
Iron 2.04mg 0.59mg Bitter melon
Sugar 1.15g Bitter melon
Fiber 2.2g Nopales
Copper 0.201mg 0.052mg Bitter melon
Zinc 0.3mg 0.25mg Bitter melon
Phosphorus 99mg 16mg Bitter melon
Sodium 11mg 21mg Bitter melon
Vitamin A 1734IU 457IU Bitter melon
Vitamin A 87µg 23µg Bitter melon
Manganese 0.536mg 0.457mg Bitter melon
Selenium 0.9µg 0.7µg Bitter melon
Vitamin B1 0.181mg 0.012mg Bitter melon
Vitamin B2 0.362mg 0.041mg Bitter melon
Vitamin B3 1.11mg 0.41mg Bitter melon
Vitamin B5 0.063mg 0.167mg Nopales
Vitamin B6 0.803mg 0.07mg Bitter melon
Vitamin K 5.3µg Nopales
Folate 128µg 3µg Bitter melon
Choline 7.3mg Nopales
Saturated Fat 0.016g Bitter melon
Monounsaturated Fat 0.018g Nopales
Polyunsaturated fat 0.05g Nopales
Tryptophan 0.014mg Nopales
Threonine 0.04mg Nopales
Isoleucine 0.049mg Nopales
Leucine 0.077mg Nopales
Lysine 0.059mg Nopales
Methionine 0.015mg Nopales
Phenylalanine 0.049mg Nopales
Valine 0.059mg Nopales
Histidine 0.025mg Nopales

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Bitter melon Nopales
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
64%
Bitter melon
10%
Nopales
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
41%
Bitter melon
23%
Nopales

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Bitter melon
Bitter melon is lower in Sugar (difference - 1.15g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Bitter melon
Bitter melon contains less Sodium (difference - 10mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Bitter melon
Bitter melon is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.016g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Bitter melon
Bitter melon is lower in glycemic index (difference - 7)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Bitter melon
Bitter melon is relatively richer in minerals
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
Which food is cheaper?
?
The foods are relatively equal in price ($)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
?
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. Nopales - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168571/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.