Bitter melon, or ampalaya, is a highly nutritious addition to your diet, and also contains potent phytochemicals that appear to inhibit cell oxidation and cancer. According to a 2009 article in "Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity," bitter melon shows promise as an antioxidant and also may lower blood sugar. Please discuss all medical and nutrition questions with your health care provider.
Description
Bitter melon goes by many names, including bitter gourd, papailla, balsam apple, karela and ku gua. In Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and South America, cooks add bitter melon to savory dishes, in which it provides an astringent bite. The bitter melon fruit is produced from a slender, climbing vine that grows in tropical regions, including east Africa and the Amazon basin. Bitter melon has a distinctive appearance that features a cucumber-like shape, bright green color and many bumpy nodules on the outer skin. Indigenous people traditionally used it as a medicine, according to naturopath Leslie Taylor in her book, "The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs."
Traditional Uses
For Amazonian locals and indigenous tribes, bitter melon is considered an effective remedy for diseases such as hepatitis, cancer, viruses, parasites and indigestion. In addition, they use the fruit's seeds, flesh and leaves to treat malaria, eczema, low sex drive, colic and fevers. They give a tea made from its leaves to diabetics to lower their blood sugar, a use that is now supported by scientific research. In Mexico, herbalists use the whole plant to treat dysentery, while they eat the root as an aphrodisiac, according to Taylor. Consult a physician before using bitter melon to treat any disorder.
Scientific Research
A review article in the May 2011 issue of "Current Molecular Medicine" notes that bitter melon contains over 20 bioactive compounds that contribute to its therapeutic value. E.F. Fang, the article's author, lauds the fruit as a "cornucopia of health," and points to its demonstrated anti-tumor and anti-viral properties. In a test-tube research study published in a 2010 issue of "Pharmaceutical Research," bitter melon appears to prevent and treat cancer. According to the study, constituents in bitter melon seem to hinder or kill cancer cells while leaving non-cancerous cells intact.
Safety
Bitter melon is contraindicated for pregnant women, as it stimulates the uterus, writes Taylor. Nursing women should avoid it as well. Animal research has shown bitter melon's anti-diabetic properties. If you are diabetic or hypoglycemic, speak with your doctor before using this plant.
References
- "Current Molecular Medicine"; Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia) is a Cornucopia of Health: A Review of its Credited Antidiabetic, Anti-HIV, and Antitumor Properties; E.F. Fang; May 2011
- "Pharmaceutical Research"; Bitter Melon: Antagonist to Cancer; P. Nerurkar et al.; June 2010
- "Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity"; The Plant Extracts of Momordica Charantia and Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Have Anti-oxidant and Anti-hyperglycemic Properties for Cardiac Tissue during Diabetes Mellitus; U.N. Tripathi; November-December 2009
- "The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs"; Leslie Taylor; 2005
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