Bitter Melon - Benefits, Uses and Research for Diabetes and HIV
Bitter Melon - Benefits, Medicinal Properties Bitter Melon is
reported to help in the treatment of diabetes and psoriasis. It
has also been reported that Bitter Melon may help in the
treatment of HIV
Bitter Melon is the English name of Momordica charantia. Bitter
Melon is also known by the names Karela and Bitter gourd. 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.
Does bitter melon have medicinal properties?
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.
Is it true that bitter melon capsules are effective in lowering
blood sugar of diabetics?
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.
Rich in iron, bitter melon has twice the beta carotene of
broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach, twice the potassium of
bananas, and contains vitamins C and B 1 to 3, phosphorus and
good dietary fiber. It is believed to be good for the liver and
has been proven by western scientists to contain insulin, act as
an anti-tumor agent, and inhibit HIV-1 infection.
At least 32 active constituents have been identified in bitter
melon so far, including beta-sitosterol-d-glucoside, citrulline,
GABA, lutein, lycopene and zeaxanthin. Nutritional analysis
reveals that
bitter melon is also rich in potassium, calcium,
iron, beta-carotene, vitamins B1, B2, B3 and C.
Even more effective than a conventional drug in lowering blood
sugar!
Recently, the Department of Health in the Philippines has
recommended bitter melon as one of the best herbal medicines for
diabetic management. And multiple clinical studies have clearly
established the role of bitter melon in people with diabetes.
Scientists have now identified three groups of constituents that
are thought to be responsible for its 'blood sugar lowering'
action.
One of these, a compound called charantin, which is composed of
mixed steroids, was found to be more effective than the oral
hypoglycaemic drug, tolbutamide, in reducing blood sugar.
Another, an insulin-like polypeptide, called polypeptide P,
appears to lower blood sugar in type I (insulin dependent)
diabetics, while alkaloids present in the fruit have also been
noted to have a blood sugar lowering effect. As yet, researchers
are unclear as to which of these compounds is most effective or
if it is the synergistic effect of all three. Further research
is required to understand how these compounds actually work.
Compounds known as oleanolic acid glycosides have been found to
improve glucose tolerance in Type II (maturity onset) diabetics
by preventing the absorption of sugar from the intestines.
Bitter melon has also been reported to increase the number of
beta cells (cells that secrete insulin) in the pancreas, thereby
improving your body's capability to produce insulin (insulin
promotes the uptake of sugar from your blood by cells and
tissues).
Evidence:
A two-day Indian study published in 1999 examined bitter melon's
effect on 100 people with type 2 diabetes. On both days,
researchers tested the participants' blood sugar levels in a
fasting state and after drinking glucose. Participants took 150
to 200 mi of bitter melon extract on the second day. That day,
researchers found that 86 percent of the participants
experienced an average 14 percent drop in blood sugar after
fasting and after drinking glucose.
The most appropriate quality product is in Vegetable Capsules:
Morpheme Karela (Bitter Melon) Supplements
For More information about Bitter Melon and Its Benefits, Bitter
Melon Supplements please read at
http://www.ayurvediccure.com/bittergourd.htm
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