Bitter melon, also called bitter gourd, is a vegetable that grows in Asia, the Caribbean, East Africa and South America. People eat it as a food as well as use it for medicinal purposes to help treat conditions including diabetes, cancer and viral infections. Bitter melon affects certain hormones, including insulin and leptin.
Your body relies on insulin to help control blood sugar. The release of insulin allows your cells to take up glucose in your blood, lowering your blood sugar and allowing your cells to access chemical fuel to carry out day-to-d...
Although drying bitter melon won't make the gourd taste less bitter, it will preserve it for months -- or years if frozen. Since the leaves and fruit are used for holistic medicine, including teas, this can mean ready access to...
With proper preparation, bitter melon is a versatile fruit. It has many uses in cooking, as either a flavorful ingredient or the staple component of main courses, drinks and even desserts. Bitter melon is popular in soups and w...
Although the name "bitter melon" might not win any marketing awards, the nutrition punch that this strong-flavored vegetable packs needs no selling. Naturally rich in calcium, vitamin C and iron, bitter melon is a nut...
Bitter melon, a fruit beloved by many who enjoy Asian- and Indian-inspired cuisines, can be a blessing and a curse for those with stomach problems. On one hand, its traditional medicinal uses include the treatment of abdominal ...
Bitter melons, also known as bitter gourds or balsam pears, sometimes make news for their potential to treat diabetes patients or lower the risk of cancer. While more research needs to be done on the specific medicinal compound...
The Cleveland Clinic reports that about 10 percent of American adults experience acid reflux at least once per week. Certain herbal remedies, such as bitter melon, may be helpful in treating your acid reflux, but check with you...
Bitter melon, a vegetable that grows in subtropical and tropical locations, has a long history of use as food, as well as medicine, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. It has attracted the attention of rese...
Your diet may impact your risk for developing arthritis or the severity of your symptoms if you already have it, and bitter melon, or bitter gourd, can be part of a plan for staying healthy. For advice on an appropriate diet, c...
Bitter melon is a tropical fruit that goes by several names, including bitter gourd, bitter cucumber and wild cucumber. According to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, clinical studies on the plant suggest that it may be e...
Doctors often advise over-the-counter fever reducers, decongestants and antihistamines to alleviate symptoms. Some natural healers recommend the use of herbal remedies such as bitter melon to prevent and treat upper respirator...
The American Diabetes Association reports that people with diabetes are more likely to use alternative treatments, including botanical supplements, than people without diabetes. Bitter melon is one such botanical supplement tha...
The astringent, good-for-you leaf tips of the bitter melon, called ampalaya in the Philippines, kerala in India and balsam pear in China, provide calcium, potassium, vitamin C, folate and vitamins A and K, while the warty-looki...
If diabetes remains untreated it can lead to serious health problems including blindness and nerve damage. Fortunately, diabetes can be controlled through insulin injections and medicines that lower blood sugar levels. Bitter m...
Bitter melon, or Momordica charantia, belongs to the Cucurbitaceae plant family, making it related to cucumbers and gourds. This annual plant naturally occurs in the tropical regions of Asia, South America, India and Africa. Al...
Laboratory research indicates that both bitter melon and green tea contain natural chemicals that may have health benefits, such as cancer prevention and treatment. A 2007 article in the "Journal of Natural Products" notes that...
According to the International Herpes Resource Center, 50 percent to 80 percent of people in North America have herpes. While the need for further scientific study on human subjects exists, the fruit of the bitter melon herb ma...
While the unripe fruit of bitter melon may be eaten as a vegetable, the fruit and other parts are also used as medicine to treat a variety of conditions, including cancer, asthma, high blood pressure and diabetes. Some scientif...
Bitter melon has a long history of use as both a food and medicine in Asia. Like many fruits, it has a rich store of vitamins and minerals. Traditional uses include treating diabetes, immune system disorders, cancer and viral i...
According to the National Diabetes Education Program, almost 26 million people in the United States have diabetes. While the need exists for further scientific studies, the fruit of the bitter melon herb may help treat diabetes...
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 ...
If you browse in the produce section of an East Indian market, you come across an odd-looking vegetable called bitter melon. Known as karela in the Hindi language, it is jade green, oblong and covered with warty protuberances. ...
While you can find bitter melon sold in Asian grocery stores as food, it is also used medicinally to treat a variety of ailments, including type 2 diabetes. Presently, there is insufficient scientific information to recommend t...
Treatment depends on which form of diabetes you have. Type I diabetes is usually controlled with insulin injections, while type II diabetes is treated with medicines that help regulate blood glucose levels. In some cases it may...
Your digestive system converts many nutrients into glucose, which travels in the blood to reach all your tissues and organs. High blood levels of glucose, however, may predispose you to diabetes by putting heavy demands on cell...
Bitter melon is known scientifically as Momordica charantia, but more common names include bitter gourd, bitter cucumber and balsam pear. Though it can be found all over the world, bitter melon is used primarily in South Americ...
Bitter melon, a relative of cucumber, is a vine that produces an elongated highly bitter fruit with a wart-like texture. Bitter melon is usually eaten in its unripe state, however, the bright red pulp of the ripe fruit is sweet...
Diabetes is a common metabolic condition characterized by higher than normal blood glucose levels. The herb bitter melon may help to lower high blood glucose levels, although evidence to prove it is effective is limited. Type 1...
If you struggle to control your blood sugar levels, you may benefit from taking a natural treatment called bitter melon. Bitter melon is a type of fruit that has a strong and -- you guessed it -- bitter taste. Insulin-like comp...
Bitter melon is a tropical and subtropical vine widely grown in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. Its fruit is considered one of the most bitter in the world. Bitter melon contains substances that exhibit a variety of medicinal p...
Bitter melon, also known by the scientific name Momordica charantia, is a vegetable used in both in food and medicine. It's usually consumed in supplement form because to its bitter taste. It contains active compounds called st...
Momordica charantia, also known as bitter melon or bitter gourd, is a vine often found in tropical and subtropical environments that bears an oblong fruit with a bitter taste, hence the name. Bitter melon comes in a variety of ...
Momordica, commonly referred to as bitter melon, is related to the honey dew and cantaloupe family and it is cultivated in India, Asia, Africa and various other places in the world. It is consumed as a food product and also use...
Bitter melon, also sometimes called bitter gourd or wild cucumber, is a tropical fruit that is sometimes used as a medicinal remedy for several ailments, including diabetes, cancer and HIV. It contains a number of compounds inc...
Bitter melon, scientifically known as Momordica charantia, is a vegetable widely used in India, China and South America as part of the diet. Although best known for its anti-diabetes effects, bitter melon may also help cancer s...
Diabetes is a medical condition characterized by higher than normal blood sugar levels. Bitter melon, scientifically known as Momordica charantia, is a medicinal herb with a long history in traditional Chinese medicine, being w...
The bitter melon, also known as balsam pear or bitter gourd, is a vegetable that resembles a wart-covered cucumber. The melons range in color from light to dark green. Though popular in Asian cuisines, this vegetable is not sol...
If detected early, liver failure can often be treated and its effects reversed. Several traditional therapies use the extract of bitter melon to treat liver conditions successfully. However, consult with a physician before usin...
Persistently high blood sugar levels can lead to serious health problems, including blindness, heart disease and stroke. There is no cure for diabetes, but it can be controlled with insulin and other prescription medicines. Bit...
As a result, glucose builds up in the bloodstream. If left untreated, diabetes can lead to kidney and heart disease, stroke and blindness. Bitter melon is sometimes used as an alternative remedy for diabetes but should never be...
Bitter melon, the fruit of a tropical vine in the squash family, is a popular food in Indian and Asian cuisines. It has a distinct warty texture and it has the size and shape of a cucumber. A variety of health benefits have bee...
There is no cure for HIV, but anti-viral drugs can help slow disease progression and improve quality of life. Bitter melon is sometime used as an alternative remedy for HIV, but evidence to prove it works is limited. Get medica...
Bitter melon is known botanically as Mormidica charantia, and is commonly called bitter gourd and balsam pear. Bitter melon grows in tropical regions such as East Africa, South America, the Caribbean and Asia. This bitter-tasti...
Bitter melon, a member of the gourd family, is used widely in Asian and East Indian cuisine. The green, spongy fruit tastes bitter and has a slightly pungent smell. However, bitter melon contains numerous vitamins and minerals ...
Bitter melon belongs to the squash family, along with cucumbers, cantaloupes and watermelon. The vegetable is immature and should be eaten while green and not yellow or orange, which indicates maturity and increased bitterness....
According to Family Doctor, washing your face twice a day with a mild soap can help. Your dermatologist may also prescribe antibiotics and topical treatments, such as retinoids, to treat your acne. Some people turn to herbal re...
Derived from the fruit of the tropical Momordica charantia plant, bitter melon is used as food and a medicinal remedy. Gymnema also comes from a tropical plant and is used medicinally for its leaves. Both have a history of use ...
Ampalaya, also called bitter melon, is best known for its traditional use in treating diabetes. This plant also is used to treat psoriasis, intestinal worms, infections and other conditions. That's because, in addition to its b...
Bitter melon, also known by its Latin name Momordica charantia, originates from tropical and subtropical areas of the world and is used in various Asian foods, says the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Snow peas, or Pisu...
Bitter melon is also known as Momordica charantia and grows in tropical climates such as Asia, South America, Africa, parts of the Amazon and the Caribbean. Bitter melon resembles a small cucumber with a warty gourd appearance....
According to the Food Reference website, bitter melon gourd has various names, including bitter melon, bitter gourd, foo qua and balsam pear. This intense-tasting vegetable is often in Chinese and Indian cooking, and preparatio...
Bitter melon, also referred to as bitter gourd, is scientifically named Momordica charantia; it is a part of the squash family. During harvest bitter melon fruit is green or yellow in color, but as it ripens it turns yellow-ora...
Bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd, is an edible fruit that looks much like a cucumber. This fruit is actually a member of the squash family and is among the most bitter tasting of any fruit. Bitter melon is frequently us...
Bitter melon has long been used as both a food source and a natural medicine. Its ability to help regulate blood sugar in diabetics has long been known, but research conducted by New York University School of Medicine shows it ...
Bitter melon, also known as momordica charantia, is easy to find in Asian food markets. It's top claim to fame is as a diabetes fighter. It may provide benefits against viral infections such as HIV and herpes as well, but more ...
Ampalaya is used as an alternative herbal remedy for diabetes and a host of other conditions. This climbing vine produces a fruit that looks like a bumpy cucumber, and is native to southern Asia. It is sold in Asian grocery sto...
Bitter melon, also known as Momordica charantia is a gourd vegetable native to many Asian, Caribbean, South American and African countries. This vegetable is used as a healing remedy, as well as a dietary staple. In its traditi...
Bitter melon is a plant that is commonly eaten in curried dishes in India and is widely used to treat type 2 diabetes. The fruit, seed and leaf extracts contain plant insulin, which acts similarly to human insulin. Herbal supp...
Bitter melon is a tropical vine found extensively throughout the Caribbean, Africa, China, India and Southeast Asia. The leaves are dried and encapsulated, or steeped in hot water to prepare a tea, which is a traditional treatm...
Bitter melon is available in oriental markets as a food and has been used in traditional medicine in Asia, India, China and South America. Preliminary research documents more than 20 active substances with possible applications...
The pungent taste of bitter melon may be something that takes getting used to, but this vegetable may have beneficial health effects that override its taste. Research involving bitter melon is still ongoing, and bitter melon ca...
Bitter melon is the fruit of Momordica charantia, a tropical vine found throughout Southeast Asia, India, Africa, China and part of the Caribbean. As the name implies, the fruit, or melon, imparts a bitter taste. Since this pla...
According to the "PDR for Herbal Medicines," bitter melon is the fruit of a climbing vine plant. Bitter melon, also known as Momordica charantia, resembles a gourd or small cucumber and is primarily used as a hypoglycemic by di...
Bitter melon, also known as ampalaya or by its scientific name Mormordica charantia, is a plant with a variety of benefits. Bitter melon has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat diverse ailments, ranging from...
The bitter melon is not any more attractive than its name implies. Also referred to as bitter gourd or balsam pear, it resembles a warty cucumber and is often used in Asian and Indian cuisine. While you may never consider tryin...
Bitter melon, the edible fruit of the Momordica charantia plant, grows in tropical and subtropical climates and is used as both food and medicine in a number of cultures. Bitter melon is used as a digestive aid and an anti-infe...
Bitter melon--also known as bitter gourd and balsam pear, botanically labeled Momordica charantia--is a member of the large family that includes squashes, melons and cucumbers. Native to Asia and Africa, it has long been valued...
Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is the edible fruit of a tropical vine. It's most commonly grown in the Indian sub-continent, although its specific origin isn't known. Bitter melon is one of the bitterest tasting vegetables ...
Bitter melon is a tropical fruit that's grown in South America, India, Africa and Asia. It has been studied for centuries for its many health properties. According to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York, ...
Ampalaya is a bitter melon that is also known as its scientific name Momordica charantia. Ampalaya has been part of herbal medicine for many years, especially in the Philippines, and its leaves, roots, seeds and the fruit itsel...
