Bitter gourd/melon - Simple plant kills up to 98% of cancer cells – and stops diabetes

I’m always looking for natural substances that throw a “monkey wrench” into the peculiar metabolism of cancer cells. It’s vital these substances kill cancer cells and leave normal cells untouched. I’ve told you about some of my discoveries in the past. They include resveratrol, green tea, Seanol, and others. But today I’m going to tell you about another plant that safely starves cancer cells as efficiently as a powerful chemo drug. In fact, it even works on pancreatic cancer cells, which are particularly difficult to kill.

This plant is a common vegetable from Asia called “bitter melon.” It is popular among the long-lived population of Okinawa, Japan.

Bitter melon juice diluted to just 5% in water showed remarkable potency in severely damaging all four pancreatic cancer cell lines researchers tested. The bitter melon reduced the viability of two cancer cell lines by 90%, while it knocked off the other two lines by a staggering 98%. And it did so after just 72 hours of treatment!In the past, I’ve told you about apoptosis. That’s nature’s way of dealing with wayward cells. They simply kill themselves. Bitter melon juice induced this programmed cell death along several different pathways. And even better, it also activated a pathway, which shows that it knocks out the cancer cells’ metabolism of glucose. In other words, it literally starved them of the sugar they need to survive.

Do these lab dish studies apply to living animals? A resounding yes! University of Colorado researchers gave mice bitter melon at doses easily achievable in humans. The animals had a 64% reduction in pancreatic tumor size without side effects! This level of effectiveness beat the most commonly used chemo drugs for this lethal cancer.

The dose used in mice translates to 6 grams of powder for an average-sized adult (75 kg). Big Pharma is rushing to find patentable petrochemicals to achieve what God put into the bitter melon fruit. It baffles Big Pharma that a simple plant can starve cancer cells of their fuel. You don’t need any fancy chemicals to make it happen.What’s more, the actions of bitter melon may help diabetics as well. Researchers recently found that bitter melon ameliorates metabolic syndrome by its beneficial effects on glucose metabolism.

This is wonderful news. We won’t beat cancer by any one approach. I believe it must be multifocal. In other words, beef up the immune system, detoxify, eliminate dental infections and toxic dental materials, alkalinize your body, oxidize the body with oxidation therapy, and give specific nutrients to throw a monkey wrench into cancer’s peculiar metabolic pathways.

All cancer cells show disturbed energy production utilizing inefficient glucose fermentation. Bitter melon may be a huge pipe wrench to uncouple cancer’s wayward energy production. You can find bitter melon at most health food stores and online.Yours for better health and medical freedom,

http://mynaturesmedicine.com/2013/11/30/simple-plant-kills-up-to-98-of-cancer-cells-and-stops-diabetes/

This post is on Healthwise

See also:

http://healthticket.blogspot.my/2013/03/the-juice-that-kills-cancer-cells.html

http://healthticket.blogspot.my/2014/07/can-bitter-melon-juice-treat-pancreatic.html

http://healthticket.blogspot.my/2012/07/dr-oz-5-best-cures-from-around-world.html

Can Bitter Melon Juice Treat Pancreatic Cancer?

Healthwise

Maylin Rodriguez-Paez, RN

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat. By the time it’s diagnosed, it’s usually at an advanced state, leaving little to offer in the area of treatment.

Little advancement has been made with traditional therapies, leading scientists to look elsewhere for answers.

Interestingly enough, scientists at the University of Colorado may have found a breakthrough with bitter melon juice. 

Why? Because a recent study revealed it killed pancreatic cancer cells in culture and in mice. 

Bitter Melon Juice Reduced Tumor Growth By 60%

Bitter melon is a fruit that grows in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Traditionally it has been used to treat diabetes. This is what spiked the interest of Dr. Rajesh Agarwal, a lead researcher in the Colorado study. He thought bitter melon might treat pancreatic cancer, since Type II diabetes often precedes the disease. 

Researchers examined the effect of bitter melon on 4 different lines of pancreatic cancer cells and in mice. Mice were injected with pancreatic tumor cells and were randomly divided into one of two groups. One group received water (control), and the second was given bitter melon juice for six weeks. At the end of the study, the tumors that developed on the mice were dissected, weighed, and analyzed. 

The results showed that bitter melon juice inhibited cancer cell proliferation and induced apoptosis (cell death). Tumor growth was inhibited by 60% in the treatment group with no signs of toxicity.¹ 

Bitter Melon Regulates Insulin, Which Fuels Tumor Growth

In addition to treating pancreatic cancer, bitter melon may have the potential to prevent it as well. Bitter melon helps to regulate the secretion of insulin from pancreatic cells.² 

Many tumors have insulin receptors which transport glucose to cancer cells, helping them to grow, divide, and multiply. Studies show insulin encourages pancreatic cancer cells to grow in a dose-dependent manner.³ 

In addition, having diabetes is a risk factor for the disease. Metformin, an insulin-sensitizing drug, has been shown to improve the survival rate in diabetic, pancreatic cancer patients.¹ 

Bitter Melon Combats Other Cancers Too

Further studies show bitter melon displays anti-tumor effects for other cancers including that of the breast, prostate and colon.¹

A key mechanism it targets is AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase), a molecule that regulates cell growth and replication. 

The Bottom Line

Although the Colorado study certainly does show potential, human studies are needed to confirm the anti-tumor effects of bitter melon juice. Pretty interesting though, isn't it?

References:

1. Carcinogenesis. 2013 Jul;34(7):1585-92.
2. Bioinformation. 2012; 8(6): 251–254.
3. J Surg Res. 1996 Jun;63(1):310-3.

http://blog.lef.org/2014/04/can-bitter-melon-juice-treat-pancreatic.html

Bitter Melon - The Ancient Asian Remedy ...

March 26, 2013           

The Ancient Asian Remedy that Prevents Cancer

A specific juice may be the life-saving answer to the 45,220 people expected to develop pancreatic cancer this year alone.1 And for the millions at risk, it may prevent the cancer from forming altogether.

Researchers from the University of Colorado studied the effects of the juice on pancreatic cancer cells in mice.2 They found the juice prevented cancer cells from using glucose. It essentially starved them to death. The juice also stopped tumors from forming in the first place. The mice that got the juice were 60 percent less likely to develop the cancer. And unlike the remedies Big Pharma likes to push, it caused no toxicity.

What is this cancer-fighting elixir?

Bitter melon juice.

Bitter melon is a fruit native to India and later brought to Asia.3 Asians have used the fruit and seeds as medicine for centuries. It’s probably best known for preventing and controlling diabetes.

And that’s where its cancer fighting properties come into play. Bitter melon regulates insulin secretion by the pancreas.4 That helps reduce blood sugar levels. By controlling insulin, pancreatic cancer cells have a much tougher time metabolizing glucose. That in turn cuts off the cell’s energy source. End result…cell death.

“It’s a very exciting finding,” lead author Dr. Rajesh Agarwal said. “Many researchers are engineering new drugs to target cancer cells’ ability to supply themselves with energy, and here we have a naturally-occurring compound that may do just that.”

This isn’t the first time bitter melon made headlines for fighting cancer.

A study published in Cancer Research showed the effect of bitter melon extract on breast cancer cells.5 Researchers at St. Louis University tested it on breast cancer cells in a petri dish. Once again, it stopped tumor growth. It worked slightly differently. But the result was the same.

Dr. Agarwal wants to continue his research. He hopes to develop a chemo prevention treatment using bitter melon.

But you can start protecting yourself right now.

The best place to find bitter melon is at an Asian food market. You can also look for the juice at your local health market. A bitter melon extract supplement will also work. We recommend Vitacost Bitter Melon Fruit extract capsules if you can’t find it in its natural form. (Keep in mind, we are not compensated for suggesting this brand. We’ve done the research and feel it’s the best choice.)

A few cups of juice or capsules of bitter melon may just keep you cancer and diabetes free.


References:
1 http://cancer.org/cancer/pancreaticcancer/overviewguide/pancreatic-cancer-overview-key-statistics
2 http://carcin.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/03/07/carcin.bgt081
3 http://webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-795-BITTER%20MELON.aspx?activeIngredientId=795&activeIngredientName=BITTER%20MELON
4 http://sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130312134920.htm
5 http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20179194

Related Articles:

• A Tropical Fruit That Keeps Cancer at Bay
• A Sweet and Natural Way to Prevent Colon Cancer
• Natural Weight Loss… in a Tantalizing Bottle
• Nature’s Fruity Statin Helps Clean Out Arteries
• The Medicine of Kings That Kills Cancer

Source:   http://institutefornaturalhealing.com/2013/03/the-ancient-asian-remedy-that-prevents-cancer/#Continue

Food to chew on

Steve Yap

Posted on 21 June 2010 - 08:36pm

In nutritional medicine, fibre is recognised as an essential bulk nutrient just like protein, carbohydrate and fats. However, too much fibre could bring about a reduction in the absorption of micro-nutrients.

>> Banana

Research shows that regular consumption of banana in place of refined carbohydrates could reduce colon cancer by some 40%. Colon cancer has the highest fatality rate for men and third highest for women in this country.

Banana (actually a berry) has rich dietary fibre and mineral contents and it should be consumed when slightly ripe. Overly ripe banana contains higher fructose and may be infested with fungi.
Like potato, more potassium is found in its skin.

>> Bamboo shoot

It is high on dietary fibre and research suggests it possesses strong anti-tumour properties.
Its bitter taste is believed to come from rare phyto-chemicals and vitamin B17 (amygdalins) found in grass and in some plants and seeds eaten in olden days.

Limited in-vitro studies have shown positive results against some cancer cell lines.

>> Bittermelon (Bitter gourd)

This fruit – not a vegetable – helps to lower elevated blood sugar and is helpful to those who consume refined starch on a daily basis.

It can be served fresh or cooked. Its protein – charantin – acts like the hormone insulin, but without the possible adverse health effects of elevated insulin from repeated injections.

Excessive insulin promotes weight gain, hunger spell, and possibly tumour growth. So, maintaining healthy blood glucose can pay rich dividends since the majority of those who suffer from diabetes are likely to die from heart attacks and/or strokes.

>> Chinese cabbage

Local research demonstrates very strong in-vitro anti-tumour properties against colon cancer cell line for this vegetable though some Chinese traditional medicine practitioners believe it to be "too cooling".

Since most chronic diseases are linked to inflammation (‘fire’), it may explain why we need to consume Chinese cabbage regularly to ‘extinguish’ the fire from within.

>> Cucumber

This fruit (not a vegetable) stands out as being extremely low in fructose, yet rich in soluble fibre. It possesses anti-tumour properties too.

Contrary to popular belief, regular consumption of sweet fruits high in fructose greatly accelerates the onset of diabetes despite fruit sugar having a very low glycemic (GI) index due to its different metabolism.

Cucumber is a rather low GI food. The lower the GI, the lower our risks of contracting chronic health disorders. It’s healthy to consume cucumber after a meal containing lots of refined starch, simple sugars and fats.

>> Garlic

Allicin in this root vegetable helps keep our arteries clean. Garlic also raises good cholesterol and reduces ‘bad’ cholesterol. It is helpful in promoting detoxification since it’s rich in sulphur amino acid called L-cysteine needed in conjugation (binding of toxins for excretion).

Garlic is also a rich source of the amino acid L-arginine. Arginine-derived nitric oxide promotes cardiovascular health.

>> Guava

The vitamin C content in this fruit is much higher than that of other fruits like apples. Chronic deficiency of vitamin C has been linked to elevated stress and toxic load, heart disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, stroke, low collagen production and accelerated ageing.

Guava and its leaves contain quercetin, which is used to treat allergies via its positive actions on IgE.

However, its seeds should be avoided as well as the genetically-modified seedless guava since its nutritional and health properties have yet to be fully studied.

>> Pineapple

It is rich in the enzyme bromelain, which is used in nutritional medicine to treat the No.1 cause of most chronic health disorders: inflammation.

Unfortunately, most of the enzyme is found in the stem which is usually discarded before serving.

Unlike many other sweet fruits, the pineapple helps make our body more alkaline. Its detoxification properties are highly valued in natural medicine.

>> Sengkuang (white turnip)

Of all local produce, this root vegetable contains probably the highest potassium content, which is useful for reversing the adverse effect of excessive sodium in our modern diets.

Too much sodium is linked to hypertension, kidney damage, stroke, anxiety, edema and elevated stress.

>> Sweet potato

The local purple- or orange-coloured sweet potato is an excellent substitute for the starchy potato or chips or fries. It is rich in alpha- and beta-carotene, which is a pro-vitamin A.

Carotene is an oil-soluble antioxidant and should be consumed with some dietary fats to enhance its absorption. Unlike other popular antioxidants, this vitamin is not recycled by other nutrients. Liver toxicity should be monitored when consuming high dosages.

http://www.thesundaily.my/node/141620

The Juice That Kills Cancer Cells - Bitter Melon/Gourd

Carl Lowe | Mar 14, 2013

Scientists at the University of Colorado have found an all-natural juice that stops cancer cells from using sugar, cuts off their energy supply and kills them. It doesn’t harm normal cells.

The cancer-killing juice is the juice of the bitter melon.

“Three years ago researchers showed the effect of bitter melon extract on breast cancer cells only in a Petri dish. This study goes much, much farther. We used the juice — people especially in Asian countries are already consuming it in quantity. We show that it affects the glucose metabolism pathway to restrict energy and kill pancreatic cancer cells,” says researcher Rajesh Agarwal, Ph.D.

“It’s a very exciting finding,” Agarwal says. “Many researchers are engineering new drugs to target cancer cells’ ability to supply themselves with energy, and here we have a naturally-occurring compound that may do just that.”

Source:  http://easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/nutrition/the-juice-that-kills-cancer-cells/

Bitter melon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_melon

Momordica charantia often called bitter melon, bitter gourd or bitter squash in English, has many other local names. Goya^[1] from the indigenous language of Okinawa where there is a large US military presence and karavella^[2] from Sanskrit are also used by English-language speakers.

It is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of all fruits^{[citation needed]} . Its many varieties differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit. This is a plant of the tropics.

Bitter melon originated in India, and it was carried to China in the 14th century.<sup>[3]

Description</sup>

Ripe fruit

This herbaceous, tendril-bearing vine grows to 5 m. It bears simple, alternate leaves 4–12 cm across, with three to seven deeply separated lobes. Each plant bears separate yellow male and female flowers. In the Northern Hemisphere, flowering occurs during June to July and fruiting during September to November.

The fruit has a distinct warty exterior and an oblong shape. It is hollow in cross-section, with a relatively thin layer of flesh surrounding a central seed cavity filled with large, flat seeds and pith. The fruit is most often eaten green, or as it is beginning to turn yellow. At this stage, the fruit's flesh is crunchy and watery in texture, similar to cucumber, chayote or green bell pepper, but bitter. The skin is tender and edible. Seeds and pith appear white in unripe fruits; they are not intensely bitter and can be removed before cooking.

As the fruit ripens, the flesh (rind) becomes tougher, more bitter, and too distasteful to eat. On the other hand, the pith becomes sweet and intensely red; it can be eaten uncooked in this state, and is a popular ingredient in some Southeast Asian salads.

When the fruit is fully ripe, it turns orange and mushy, and splits into segments which curl back dramatically to expose seeds covered in bright red pulp.

[edit] Varieties

Bitter melon comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. The Chinese variety is 20–30 cm long, oblong with bluntly tapering ends and pale green in color, with a gently undulating, warty surface. The bitter melon more typical of India has a narrower shape with pointed ends, and a surface covered with jagged, triangular "teeth" and ridges. It is green to white in color. Between these two extremes are any number of intermediate forms. Some bear miniature fruit of only 6–10 cm in length, which may be served individually as stuffed vegetables. These miniature fruit are popular in India and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

Chinese variety

Sub-continent variety

Indian variety

[edit] Culinary uses

A small green bitter melon (front) and a scoop of Okinawan stir-fried gōyā chanpurū (back)

Bitter gourd (pods, boiled, drained, no salt)

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	79 kJ (19 kcal)
Carbohydrates	4.32 g
- Sugars	1.95 g
- Dietary fiber	2.0 g
Fat	0.18 g
- saturated	0.014 g
- monounsaturated	0.033 g
- polyunsaturated	0.078 g
Protein	0.84 g
Water	93.95 g
Vitamin A equiv.	6 μg (1%)
Thiamine (vit. B1)	0.051 mg (4%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2)	0.053 mg (4%)
Niacin (vit. B3)	0.280 mg (2%)
Vitamin B6	0.041 mg (3%)
Folate (vit. B9)	51 μg (13%)
Vitamin B12	0 μg (0%)
Vitamin C	33.0 mg (40%)
Vitamin E	0.14 mg (1%)
Vitamin K	4.8 μg (5%)
Calcium	9 mg (1%)
Iron	0.38 mg (3%)
Magnesium	16 mg (5%)
Phosphorus	36 mg (5%)
Potassium	319 mg (7%)
Sodium	6 mg (0%)
Zinc	0.77 mg (8%)
Percentages are relative toUS recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database

A soft drink made from bitter melon

Bitter melon is generally consumed cooked in the green or early yellowing stage. The young shoots and leaves of the bitter melon may also be eaten as greens.

Bitter melon is often used in Chinese cooking for its bitter flavor, typically in stir-fries (often with pork and douchi), soups, and also in tisanes. It has also been used in place of hops as the bittering ingredient in some Chinese and Okinawan beers.^[4]

It is very popular throughout South Asia. In Northern India, it is often prepared with potatoes and served with yogurt on the side to offset the bitterness, or used in sabzi. In North Indian cuisine, it is stuffed with spices and then cooked in oil. In Southern India, it is used in the dishes thoran/thuvaran (mixed with grated coconut), theeyal (cooked with roasted coconut) and pachadi (which is considered a medicinal food for diabetics). Other popular recipes include preparations with curry, deep fried with peanuts or other ground nuts, and Pachi Pulusu (కాకరకాయ పచ్చి పులుసు), a soup with fried onions and other spices.In Tamil Nadu, a special preparation in Brahmins' cuisine called pagarkai pitla (பாகற்காய் பிட்லா) a kind of sour koottu (கூட்டு) variety is very popular. Also popular is kattu pagarkkai (கட்டு பாகற்காய்) a curry stuffed with onions, cooked lentil and grated coconut mix, tied with thread and fried in oil. In Konkan region of Maharashtra, salt is added to finely chopped bitter gourd and then it is squeezed, removing its bitter juice to some extent.After frying this with different spices, less bitter and crispy preparation is served with grated coconut.

In Pakistan and Bangladesh, bitter melon is often cooked with onions, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, coriander powder, and a pinch of cumin seeds. Another dish in Pakistan calls for whole, unpeeled bitter melon to be boiled and then stuffed with cooked ground beef, served with either hot tandoori bread, naan, chappati, or with khichri (a mixture of lentils and rice).

Bitter melon is a significant ingredient in Okinawan cuisine, and is increasingly used in mainland Japan. It is popularly credited with Okinawan life expectancies being higher than the already long Japanese ones.

In Indonesia, bitter melon is prepared in various dishes, such as gado-gado, and also stir fried, cooked in coconut milk, or steamed.

In Vietnam, raw bitter melon slices consumed with dried meat floss and bitter melon soup with shrimp are popular dishes. Bitter melons stuffed with ground pork are served as a popular summer soup in the south. It is also used as the main ingredient of "stewed bitter melon". This dish is usually cooked for the Tết holiday, where its "bitter" name is taken as a reminder of the poor living conditions experienced in the past.

In the Philippines, bitter melon may be stir-fried with ground beef and oyster sauce, or with eggs and diced tomato. The dish pinakbet, popular in the Ilocos region of Luzon, consists mainly of bitter melons, eggplant, okra, string beans, tomatoes, lima beans, and other various regional vegetables altogether stewed with a little bagoong-based stock.

In Nepal, bitter melon is prepared as a fresh pickle called achar. For this, the bitter gourd is cut into cubes or slices and sautéed covered in oil and a sprinkle of water. When it is softened and reduced, it is minced in a mortar with a few cloves of garlic, salt and a red or green pepper. It is also sautéed to golden-brown, stuffed, or as a curry on its own or with potatoes.

In Trinidad and Tobago, bitter melons are usually sauteed with onion, garlic and scotch bonnet pepper until almost crisp.

[edit] Local names

In some English texts, the plant or the fruit may be called by its local names, which include kugua (Chinese: 苦瓜, pinyin: kǔguā, "bitter gourd"); parya (Ilokano), pare or pare ayam (Javanese and Indonesian), pavayka or kayppayka (Malayalam:പാവയ്ക്ക, കയ്പ്പക്ക bubulu ), goya (Okinawan: ゴーヤー) or nigauri (Japanese: 苦瓜; although the Okinawan word goya is also used in Japanese), paakharkaai (Tamil: பாகற்காய்), hāgalakāyi (Kannada: ಹಾಗಲಕಾಯಿ), ma'reah (Khmer: ម្រះ), kaakarakaya(Telugu: కాకరకాయ), করলা (korola) (Bengali), ampalaya (Tagalog), muop dang (Vietnamese: mướp đắng) or kho qua (Vietnamese: khổ qua). It is also known as caraille or carilley on Trinidad and Tobago, carilla in Guyana, cundeamor is a small variety very common in Puerto Rico (actually is the Momordica balsamina), "asorosi" or assorosie" in Haiti, and cerasee or cerasse in Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean, including parts of South America (although is known in Portuguese as melão de São Caetano - and Spanish-speaking areas, however is known by the Okinawan or Japanese names in others regions). It is karela in Hindi - and Urdu-speaking areas, कारले (karle) in Marathi. It is known as तीते करेला (tite karela) in Nepali. In Suriname, it is known as sopropo. The fruit is called kudhreth narhy (kudret narı) in Turkey, faaga in Maldives, and karavila in Sri Lankan(Sinhalese). Additional local names include hagala kayi(ಹಾಗಲ ಕಾಯಿ) in Kannada, karla in Marathi, karela (કારેલા) in Gujarati, kakarakaya (కాకరకాయ) in Telugu, paakal-kaai (பாகற்க்காய்) in Tamil, and kalara in Odia.


[edit] Medicinal uses

This section needs more medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources. Please review the contents of the section and add the appropriate references if you can. Unsourced or poorly sourced material may be removed. (August 2012)

Bitter melon has been used in various Asian and African herbal medicine systems for a long time.^[5][6][7] In Turkey, it has been used as a folk remedy for a variety of ailments, particularly stomach complaints.^[8][9] The fruit is broken up and soaked in either olive oil or honey.

[edit] Active substances

The plant contains several biologically active compounds, chiefly momordicin I and momordicin II, and cucurbitacin B.^[10] The plant also contains several bioactive glycosides (including momordin, charantin, charantosides, goyaglycosides, momordicosides) and other terpenoid compounds (including momordicin-28, momordicinin, momordicilin, momordenol, and momordol).^{[11][12][13][14][15]} It also contains cytotoxic (ribosome-inactivating) proteins such as momorcharin and momordin.^[16]

[edit] Anticancer

Two compounds extracted from bitter melon, α-eleostearic acid (from seeds) and 15,16-dihydroxy-α-eleostearic acid (from the fruit) have been found to induce apoptosis of leukemia cells in vitro.^[17] Diets containing 0.01% bitter melon oil (0.006% as α-eleostearic acid) were found to prevent azoxymethane-induced colon carcinogenesis in rats.^[18]

Researchers at Saint Louis University claim an extract from bitter melon, commonly eaten and known as karela in India, causes a chain of events which helps to kill breast cancer cells and prevents them from multiplying.^{[19] [20]}

[edit] Antihelmintic

Bitter melon is used as a folk medicine in Togo to treat gastrointestinal diseases, and extracts have shown activity in vitro against the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans.^[6]

[edit] Antimalarial

Bitter melon is traditionally regarded in Asia as useful for preventing and treating malaria.^{[citation needed]} Tea from its leaves is used for this purpose also in Panama and Colombia. In Guyana, bitter melons are boiled and stir-fried with garlic and onions. This popular side dish known as corilla is served to prevent malaria. Laboratory studies have confirmed that species related to bitter melon have antimalarial activity, though human studies have not yet been published.^[21]

[edit] Antiviral

In Togo, the plant is traditionally used against viral diseases such as chickenpox and measles. Tests with leaf extracts have shown in vitro activity against the herpes simplex type 1 virus, apparently due to unidentified compounds other than the momordicins.^[6]
Laboratory tests suggest compounds in bitter melon might be effective for treating HIV infection.^[22] As most compounds isolated from bitter melon that impact HIV have either been proteins or lectins, neither of which are well-absorbed, it is unlikely that oral intake of bitter melon will slow HIV in infected people. Oral ingestion of bitter melon possibly could offset negative effects of anti-HIV drugs, if an in vitro study can be shown to be applicable to people.^[23]

[edit] Cardioprotective

Studies in mice indicate bitter melon seed may have a cardioprotective effect by down-regulating the NF-κB inflammatory pathway.^[24]

[edit] Diabetes

In 1962, Lolitkar and Rao extracted from the plant a substance, which they called charantin, which had hypoglycaemic effect on normal and diabetic rabbits.^[25] Another principle, active only on diabetic rabbits, was isolated by Visarata and Ungsurungsie in 1981.^[26] Bitter melon has been found to increase insulin sensitivity.^[27] In 2007, a study by the Philippine Department of Health determined a daily dose of 100 mg per kilogram of body weight is comparable to 2.5 mg/kg of the antidiabetes drug glibenclamide taken twice per day.^[28] Tablets of bitter melon extract are sold in the Philippines as a food supplement and exported to many countries.^[28]

Other compounds in bitter melon have been found to activate the AMPK, the protein that regulates glucose uptake (a process which is impaired in diabetics).^{[29][30][31][32][33]}

Bitter melon also contains a lectin that has insulin-like activity due to its nonprotein-specific linking together to insulin receptors. This lectin lowers blood glucose concentrations by acting on peripheral tissues and, similar to insulin's effects in the brain, suppressing appetite. This lectin is likely a major contributor to the hypoglycemic effect that develops after eating bitter melon.^{[citation needed]} As bitter melon is extremely bitter if eaten raw, it must be cooked to make it palatable.

[edit] Weight loss

In combination with Chinese yam, bitter melon has been shown to contribute to weight loss. Over a period of 23 weeks, those eating the diet containing bitter melon lost 7 kilos.^[34]

[edit] Other uses

Bitter melon has been used in traditional medicine for several other ailments, including dysentery, colic, fevers, burns, painful menstruation, scabies and other skin problems. It has also been used as abortificant, for birth control, and to help childbirth.^[6]

[edit] Cautions

The seeds of bitter melon contains vicine, so can trigger symptoms of favism in susceptible individuals. In addition, the red arils of the seeds are reported to be toxic to children, and the fruit is contraindicated during pregnancy.^[35]

[edit] Gallery
[edit] The plant

Flowers

Female flower

Male flower

Immature fruit

Unripe fruits

Seeds

[edit] Dishes and other uses

• 

  Bitter melon fruit, cleaned and sliced for cooking.
• 

  Bitter melons being fried in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
• 

  An Indonesian-style bitter melon dish, cooked with sambal, onion, and red bird's-eye chili peppers
• 

  Bitter melon food supplement capsules.
• 

  Ampalaya con carne with egg, La Familia of Baliuag, Bulacan

• 

  Plant
• 

  Leaves and Flower