Bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd or Momordica Charantia, is a tropical vine related to zucchini, squash, pumpkin, and cucumber that belongs to the gourd family. In India and other Asian nations, it is a common vegetable. Medicine is made from the fruits and seeds. Diabetes, obesity, stomach and intestinal issues, and a variety of other ailments are all treated with bitter melon.
Vitamin C, an essential micronutrient involved in disease prevention, bone building, and wound healing, is particularly abundant in bitter melon.
It also contains a lot of vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin that helps with skin health and eyesight.
It contains folate, which is necessary for growth and development, as well as potassium, zinc, and iron in lesser levels.
Bitter Melon and Diabetes
Bitter melon is high in nutrients that are good for your health. It has been linked to lower blood sugar levels, which some studies suggest could help with diabetes treatment.
It has been related to a reduction in blood sugar levels, this is because bitter melon has characteristics that mimic insulin, which aids in the transport of glucose into cells for energy. Bitter melon intake can assist your cells in using glucose and transporting it to your liver, muscles, and fat.
Bitter melon intake can help your cells in using glucose. It may also be able to aid in the retention of nutrients by preventing their conversion to glucose in the bloodstream. Despite evidence that it can control blood sugar, it is not an authorized therapy or medicine for pre-diabetes or diabetes.
Other properties of Bitter melon
Bitter melon is believed to have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, antibacterial, anti-obesity, and immune-modulating effects, as well as being an antioxidant.
Bitter melon is also said to help people lose weight and fight cancer. There is insufficient scientific data to back up all of these claims.
Bitter Melon is distinguished by its bitter flavor. Research from several laboratories in recent years supports its potential therapeutic applications as a component in folk medicine, including anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, and anti-HIV properties in both in vitro and animal experiments.
Side effects of Bitter Melon
Diarrhoea and abdominal discomfort (with bitter melon juice, several times more than the recommended amounts)
Headache, fever, are all symptoms (with excessive ingestion of the seeds) Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
It’s Uses
Bitter melon has been utilized in different Asian and African herbal medicine systems for a long period of time. In Turkey, it has been used as a traditional treatment for a range of diseases, notably stomach problems.
Various parts of the plant are used as claimed treatments for diabetes (particularly Polypeptide-p, an insulin analogue) and as a stomachic, laxative, emetic, and anthelmintic agent for the treatment of cough, respiratory diseases, skin diseases, wounds, ulcer, gout, and rheumatism in the Indian traditional medicine.
Aqueous preparations of bitter melon have been shown in recent research to prevent the development of breast and prostate cancers. Though the mechanisms behind the anticancer action are unknown, earlier research suggests that activation of apoptosis might be one of them, although more research is needed.
