Bitter
Melon is also known by the names Karela and Balsam Pear. Bitter Melon 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 Bitter Melon 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. Bitter Melon 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. Bitter Melon is reported to help
in the treatment of diabetes and psoriasis. It has also been thought that Bitter
Melon may help in the treatment of HIV, but the evidence thus far is too weak to
even consider.
The ripe fruit of Bitter Melon 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 Bitter Melon may improve blood sugar control in people with adult-onset (type 2) diabetes. If you have type 2 diabetes, you might consider adding Bitter Melon to your diet, but only under a doctor's supervision. The blood lowering action of the fresh juice of the unripe Bitter Melon has been confirmed in scientific studies in animals and humans. At least three different groups of constituents in Bitter Melon 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, Bitter Melon 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 Bitter Melon also seems to inhibit the enzyme guanylate cyclase, which may benefit people with psoriasis.
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