Bitter Melon Extract Natural Remedies for Diabetes

General description Bitter Melon Extract is the bitterest of all vegetables known to mankind, guest posting but it is also the most effective medicinally. Although bitter, its fruit is eaten as a vegetable and is used to make many savory dishes, especially in India. Bitter Melon is known as Karela in India. Its biological name is Momordica charantia.

Morphologically, Bitter Melon Extract is a herbaceous vine with tendrils and creeps along the support. The leaves are simple and alternate, and the flowers are yellow. Male and female flowers grow on separate plants. The fruit of the plant, known as bitter melon, has an oblong-shaped exterior with warts and is dark green in color.

Bitter Melon Extract contains various chemicals such as charantin, insulin-like peptides and several alkaloids. Due to these constituents, bitter gourd is widely used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Properties

Bitter Melon is a valuable vegetable. It is useful in most of the metabolic and physiological processes of the human body. It has the following properties:-

(i)                  Bitter Melon is composed of various chemicals that have hypoglycemic activity, that is, they reduce the amount of sugar in the blood.

(ii)                Bitter Melon increases appetite

(iii)               Bitter Melon helps in the entire digestion process. Hence it is used in the treatment of digestive problems.

(iv)              Bitter Melon has emetic, purgative and anthelmintic properties. It is also anti flatulent

(v)                Bitter Melon is used to dissolve fat from the body. It is known to have anti-lipolytic properties.

(vi)              Bitter Melon contains good amounts of all the essential vitamins, such as vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin C and also minerals like iron.

(vii)             Bitter Melon is anti-inflammatory and astringent. It has a specific effect on intestinal motility.

Uses

·         Anorexia

Bitter Melon is an appetite enhancer. Hence it is used in the treatment of anorexia, a disorder in which a person is unable to consume the required amount of food.

·         Blood Impurities

Due to its bitter tonic properties, bitter Melon is used as a blood purifier. It can cure boils and other blood related problems appearing on the skin. For treatment, one cup of bitter Melon juice, mixed with one spoon of lemon juice, should be drunk every morning.

·         Diabetes Mellitus

Much has been written recently about the extremely beneficial aspects of bitter Melon in the treatment of diabetes. As already discussed above, bitter gourd contains many bitter chemicals, which are hypoglycemic in action. It also contains at least one substance that is similar to insulin secreted by human pancreatic glands. Therefore, bitter Melon is extremely effective in the treatment of diabetes. Doctors around the world recommend either drinking bitter Melon juice early in the morning or including it in the daily diet in some other way. Regular use of bitter Melon over a period of time helps in lowering blood sugar levels.

·         Diarrhea

In case of diarrhoea, mix the juice of a bitter lemon in the juice of green onion and take two spoons each. After this, lemon juice is added to it. This juice is given to the patient twice a day. This remedy is also effective in curing diarrhea caused by cholera.

·         Hangovers

Bitter Melon juice is an excellent remedy for hangover. It is also very beneficial in preventing liver damage caused by excessive alcohol.

·         Piles

In case of piles, giving fresh juice of bitter melon to the patient gives positive results. Every morning extract three teaspoons juice of bitter gourd leaves, mix it in a glass of buttermilk and then consume it on an empty stomach. By doing this sequence continuously for thirty days, piles will be completely cured. Externally also the paste of piles leaves can be applied on piles.

·         Pyorrhea

Pyorrhea is bleeding gums. Including bitter Melon in the daily diet or drinking some of its juice every morning on an empty stomach helps in reducing this problem.

·         Respiratory Problems

The paste of bitter Melon leaves is mixed with the paste of basil leaves in equal quantity. It is taken with honey every morning for the treatment and prevention of respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis, common cold and pharyngitis.

·         Skin Infections

One cup of bitter Melon Powder should be drunk every morning on an empty stomach in case of itching, ringworm and psoriasis etc. This juice can be made more effective by adding one teaspoon of lemon juice to it. It is also used in the prevention of leprosy in vulnerable areas of the world.

Special Ayurvedic Preparations

Bitter Melon is mostly used as a vegetable. It is included in the daily diet. Its juice is also prescribed, which is usually mixed with the juice of other citrus fruits such as lemon. No special preparations are made from bitter gourd, as it is generally consumed in its original form.

Precautions

There are some indications that bitter Melon Extract may induce fetal abortion in pregnant women. More research is going on on this. Also, efforts are being made to extract the essential constituents of bitter gourd in a more acceptable and safe form for human consumption.