The English name of bitter melon is Momordica charantia. It is also termed Bitter gourd or karela. It is widely grown in tropical areas including Asia, East Africa and South America. It is used there as food as well as medicine. It is a cucumber shaped fruit of green color and has gourd type bumps over it. The fresh fruit is firm and looks like an ugly cucumber. The taste is extremely bitter. Though the leaves, seeds and vines of plant have been used in traditional medicines but fruit is medically the safest and the most effective portion of the plant. The fruit and leaves both are being used for making beer, teas and for seasoning soup in Western world.

Medicinal Properties of Bitter Melon

Since centuries it is being traditionally used for treating infections, leukemia, cancer and diabetes. It is mainly reported to help to treat psoriasis and diabetes. The ripe fruit of bitter melon holds some anti-cancer effects. There are not any decisive studies in this regard. Researches have only proven that it improves the control on blood sugar level in type 2 diabetics.

The blood sugar lowering action of the juice of unripe fruit has been scientifically proven in animals and humans. Three constituents of bitter melons are scientifically proven to have a hypoglycemic or blood sugar lowering action. These includes

1. Insulin like peptides
2. Alkaloids
3. Charantin

This is not yet clearly known that which constituent is more effective among the three. These have been proven that it significantly improves the glucose tolerance and fasting blood glucose levels.

Nutritional Ingredients of Bitter Melon

• It is rich in iron.
• The carotene content is two folds more than broccoli
• The calcium content is two folds more than spinach
• The potassium content is two folds more than banana
• It is rich of dietary fiber and vitamins.

The nutritional spectrum is good for liver, acts as an anti-tumor instrument and lessens HIV infection.

Till so far around 32 active ingredients have been identified in bitter melon. These mainly includes

• Beta-sitosterol-d-glucoside
• GABA
• Citrulline
• Lycopene
• Lutein
• Zeaxanthin

Research on Bitter Melon

Department of Health of Philippines has recently recommended that it is the most effective herbal medicine for managing diabetes. Multiple clinical studies have also clearly recognized its role in diabetics.

Research Study

A research study was conducted in India and the results were published in 1999. The effect of bitter gourd was studied in 100 diabetics. In this two day study the blood sugar level of participants were studied at fasting and after drinking glucose. Subjects were given the extract of bitter mellon the second day. On the second day there was 14 % decline in the blood sugar level of 86 patients.

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