The herbal and health information provided in this Web Site is intended as historical information only. The historical uses are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Nothing listed within this Web Site should be considered as medical advice for dealing with a given problem. You should consult your health care professional for individual guidance for specific health problems. Persons with serious medical conditions should always seek professional care.
Balsam Pear is also known by the names Karela and Bitter Melon. Balsam Pear grows in tropical areas, including parts of East Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and South America, where it is used as a food as well as a medicine. It is a green cucumber shaped fruit with gourd-like bumps all over it. It looks like an ugly, light green cucumber. The fruit should be firm, like a cucumber. And it tastes very bitter. Although the seeds, leaves, and vines of Balsam Pear have all been used, the fruit is the safest and most prevalent part of the plant used medicinally. The leaves and fruit have both been used occasionally to make teas and beer, or to season soups in the Western world. Balsam Pear was traditionally used for a dazzling array of conditions by people in tropical regions. Numerous infections, cancer, leukemia, and diabetes are among the most common conditions it was believed to improve. Balsam Pear is reported to help in the treatment of diabetes and psoriasis. It has also been thought that Balsam Pear may help in the treatment of HIV, but the evidence thus far is too weak to even consider.
The ripe fruit of Balsam Pear has been suggested to exhibit some remarkable anti-cancer effects, but there is absolutely no evidence that it can treat cancer. However, preliminary studies do appear to confirm that Balsam Pear may improve blood sugar control in people with adult-onset (type 2) diabetes. If you have type 2 diabetes, you might consider adding Balsam Pear to your diet, but only under a doctor's supervision. The blood lowering action of the fresh juice of the unripe Balsam Pear has been confirmed in scientific studies in animals and humans. At least three different groups of constituents in Balsam Pear have been reported to have hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) or other actions of potential benefit in diabetes mellitus. These include a mixture of steroidal saponins known as charantin, insulin-like peptides, and alkaloids.
It is still unclear which of these is most effective or if all three work together. Nonetheless, Balsam Pear preparations have been shown to significantly improve glucose tolerance without increasing blood insulin levels, and to improve fasting blood glucose levels. Blood and urine sugar levels and post-prandial (after eating) blood glucose levels also fell. An as yet unidentified constituent in Balsam Pear also seems to inhibit the enzyme guanylate cyclase, which may benefit people with psoriasis.
(This herbal ingredient can be purchased from Viable Herbal Solutions in powdered and capsule form as part of our Single Herb sales program.)
