Bitter Melon
What is Bitter Melon?
Bitter melon is a vine-ripened tropical fruit. The fruit and seeds are used to make medicine. Rich with beneficial properties, bitter melon helps optimize the body's utilization of glucose as well as:**
Maintains blood sugar within normal range.**
Assists with glucose metabolism.*
Possesses antioxidant activity.**
Used in Asian cuisine for generations, bitter melon is a tropical, vine-ripened fruit that grows in South America, Asia and the Caribbean. It has long been used in folk wellness practices to help with indigestion and overall health and well-being.**
Bitter melon is used for various stomach and intestinal disorders including gastrointestinal (GI) upset, ulcers, colitis, constipation, and intestinal worms. It is also used for diabetes, kidney stones, fever, a skin condition called psoriasis, and liverdisease; to start menstruation; and as supportive treatment for people with HIV/AIDS.
Topically, bitter melon is used for deep skin infections (abscesses) and wounds.
Today’s research, however, emphasizes a different bitter melon benefit: The fruit helps to maintain blood sugar already within normal range. Intriguingly, this modern research-backed application is mirrored by tradition: Chinese wellness herbalists have used the bitter fruit to assist with blood sugar problems for centuries.
While its exact mechanisms of action are unknown, bitter melon is believed to have multiple compounds that influence blood sugar, including some compounds that appear to optimize glucose uptake and other compounds that bear a striking molecular resemblance to insulin.**
In addition to supporting healthy blood sugar levels within the body, the bitter green fruit supplies antioxidant compounds that help to neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals. Research has also shown that the melon’s seeds supply two proteins that may help to optimize and reinforce the immune system. The bitter fruit has been suggested, through its influence on blood sugar levels, to assist with appetite and healthy weight management as well.**
This low-calorie vegetable also prompts the smooth digestion of food, helping to eliminate indigestion and constipation problems. One hundred grams of raw bitter melon pod gives approximately 84 milligrams of vitamin C, which is 140 percent of the recommended daily intake. Bitter melon is also a good source of Vitamin A and flavonoids such as beta carotene, lutein and zea-xanthin.
Bitter melon is suggested for menstrual stimulation, wound healing, inflammation and hypertension, states Total Health Magazine. The extract of bitter melon has good impact on the nitric oxide system of the human blood vessels, which is beneficial for overall cardiovascular health.
In a laboratory study conducted by Saint Louis University, it was found that bitter melon extract decelerated the development of breast cancer cells
Men who have erectile dysfunction may benefit from using Bitter Melon in their diet.
Bitter Melon Supplements
Bitter melon supplements are most often found in capsule form, but may also be available as an ingredient in herbal teas. These supplements have become increasingly popular as a larger segment of the population seeks out natural ways to help balance and maintain healthy blood sugar levels.**
Bitter Melon Directions for Use
Do not begin any nutritional supplement program without first consulting your doctor. There is no standard bitter melon dosage. Extracts of the fruit are presented in supplements in a variety of different concentrations. Common bitter melon dosages can range from 500 mg to 1,000 mg.**
Bitter melon is a vine-ripened tropical fruit. The fruit and seeds are used to make medicine. Rich with beneficial properties, bitter melon helps optimize the body's utilization of glucose as well as:**
Maintains blood sugar within normal range.**
Assists with glucose metabolism.*
Possesses antioxidant activity.**
Used in Asian cuisine for generations, bitter melon is a tropical, vine-ripened fruit that grows in South America, Asia and the Caribbean. It has long been used in folk wellness practices to help with indigestion and overall health and well-being.**
Bitter melon is used for various stomach and intestinal disorders including gastrointestinal (GI) upset, ulcers, colitis, constipation, and intestinal worms. It is also used for diabetes, kidney stones, fever, a skin condition called psoriasis, and liverdisease; to start menstruation; and as supportive treatment for people with HIV/AIDS.
Topically, bitter melon is used for deep skin infections (abscesses) and wounds.
Today’s research, however, emphasizes a different bitter melon benefit: The fruit helps to maintain blood sugar already within normal range. Intriguingly, this modern research-backed application is mirrored by tradition: Chinese wellness herbalists have used the bitter fruit to assist with blood sugar problems for centuries.
While its exact mechanisms of action are unknown, bitter melon is believed to have multiple compounds that influence blood sugar, including some compounds that appear to optimize glucose uptake and other compounds that bear a striking molecular resemblance to insulin.**
In addition to supporting healthy blood sugar levels within the body, the bitter green fruit supplies antioxidant compounds that help to neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals. Research has also shown that the melon’s seeds supply two proteins that may help to optimize and reinforce the immune system. The bitter fruit has been suggested, through its influence on blood sugar levels, to assist with appetite and healthy weight management as well.**
This low-calorie vegetable also prompts the smooth digestion of food, helping to eliminate indigestion and constipation problems. One hundred grams of raw bitter melon pod gives approximately 84 milligrams of vitamin C, which is 140 percent of the recommended daily intake. Bitter melon is also a good source of Vitamin A and flavonoids such as beta carotene, lutein and zea-xanthin.
Bitter melon is suggested for menstrual stimulation, wound healing, inflammation and hypertension, states Total Health Magazine. The extract of bitter melon has good impact on the nitric oxide system of the human blood vessels, which is beneficial for overall cardiovascular health.
In a laboratory study conducted by Saint Louis University, it was found that bitter melon extract decelerated the development of breast cancer cells
Men who have erectile dysfunction may benefit from using Bitter Melon in their diet.
Bitter Melon Supplements
Bitter melon supplements are most often found in capsule form, but may also be available as an ingredient in herbal teas. These supplements have become increasingly popular as a larger segment of the population seeks out natural ways to help balance and maintain healthy blood sugar levels.**
Bitter Melon Directions for Use
Do not begin any nutritional supplement program without first consulting your doctor. There is no standard bitter melon dosage. Extracts of the fruit are presented in supplements in a variety of different concentrations. Common bitter melon dosages can range from 500 mg to 1,000 mg.**
