Bitter Melon Fruits have Important Components Resembling Insulin

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Bitter Melon Fruits have Important Components Resembling Insulin

 

BITTER MELON (MOMORDICA CHARANTIA)

 

Bitter Melon is a common vegetable eaten by many throughout Asia and

the Far Eastern world.

 

Bitter melon isn't its only name. Botanists and scientists call it

Momordica charantia (botanical name).There are many nick-names

including bitter gourd, carilla plant,wild cucumber,Kuguazi, African

cucumber,karela, and its medicinal herb name in china, Kuguazi.

Bitter melon is science-friendly.For example, you can find it in

the " MERCK INDEX " , the chemist's and

physician's encyclopedia of chemicals,drugs and biologicals.

 

WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? Bitter melon is native to almost all

tropical climates. It is common in Africa, China, the Far East,

India, Brazil, the Caribbean, etc.

 

HERE IN PART IS WHAT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SAYS ABOUT

BITTER MELON:

 

" Bitter melon is used for tumors in Brazil, for malignant ulcers in

Guam. Arubans take the decoction for hypertension,Puerto Ricans for

diabetes;Hondurans as a depurative; Peruvians for colic and worms.

Jamaicans

for colds, constipation, fever and stomachache; Congolese use he

leaf for colic, the seed for roundworm. Japanese use the plant for

constipation, headache, and skin ailments.... "

 

*James A. Duke, PhD., Chief, Germplasm Resources Laboratory, United

States Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., quoted

from HANDBOOK OF MEDICINAL HERBS (1985;pp315-316)

 

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WHAT IS THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH DATA ABOUT BITTER MELON? We think

you will agree, that there is some- thing unique about this

 

plant. Re: Its lowering of glucose concentrations, improving glucose

tolerance, and promoting glucose disposal:

 

" The mineral and amino acid analysis showed that the bitter gourd

contained nutritionally useful quantities of the most essential

mineral and amino acids.

 

The blood sugar once lowered after 30 days did not increase even

after 15 days of discontinuation of the treatment. " *

 

*Journal of Ethnopharmacology 15(1):107-17 1986 Jan.

 

" Investigations were carried out to evaluate the effect of Momordica

charantia on the glucose tolerance of maturity onset diabetic

patients.

 

The juice of Momordia charantia was found to significantly improve

the glucose tolerance of 73% of the patients investigated. " *

 

*Journal of Ethnopharmacology 17(3):277-82 1986 Sept.

 

" Cerrasee-

A wild variety of Momordica charantia is traditionally prepared as a

tea for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in the WestIndies and

Central America.

 

*Diabetes Research Clinical & Experimental 2(2):81-4 1985 Mar.

 

" The hypoglycaemic effect of orally administered extracts of fruits

of cultivated Momordica charantia (Karela) was examined. The results

suggest that orally administered karela extracts lower glucose

concentrations independently of intestinal glucose absorption and

involve an extra pancreatic effect. " *

 

*Planta Medica 56(5); 426-9 1990 Oct.

 

" The effect of Karela (Momordica charantia), a fruit indigenous to

South America and Asia, on glucose and insulin concentrations was

studied in nine non-insulin-dependent diabetics and six non-diabetic

rats. These results show that karela improves glucose tolerance in

diabetes.

 

Doctors supervising *Asian* diabetics are aware of the fruit's

hypoglycemic properties. " **British Medical Journal-Clinical Research

282(6279); 1823-4 1981June 6.

 

" An aqueous extract from the unripe fruits of the tropical plant

Momordica charantia was found to be potent stimulator of insulin

release from beta cell rich pancreatic islets isolated from

obese-hyperglycemic mice.

 

Studies of 45 Ca fluxes suggest that the insulin releasing action is

a result of perturbations of membrane functions. In support for the

idea of direct effects on membrane lipids, the action of the extract

was found to mimic that of saponin. " *

 

*Acta Biologica et Medica Germanica 41(12):1229-40 1982.

 

" A hypoglycemic peptide, Polypeptide-p has been isolated from the

fruit seeds and tissue of Momordica charantia.

 

Polypeptide-p is a very effective hypoglycemic agent when

administered subcutaneously to gerbils, langurs and humans. " *

 

*Journal of Natural Products 44(6):648-55 1981 Nov.-Dec.

 

" Extracts of Momordica charantia fruit pulp, seed, and whole plant

were tested for their hypoglycemic effects on normal and diabetic

rat models.

 

The results indicate the presence of non-sapogenin hypoglycemic

compound(s) in Momordica charantia fruit pulp and the activity is

probably mediated either by improving the insulin

secretory 'capacity ofthe B cells or by improving the action of the

insulin. " *

*Planta Medica 59(5):408-412 1993

 

 

" The Bitter Melon or Balsam Pear -

is cultivated as a tropical vegetable in South America, Asia, and

Africa where it has been used as a traditional therapy for diabetes

in a variety of cultures of these countries.

 

One isolate of Momorica, Charantin is a mixture of steroidal

glycosides and compares favorably to " tolbutamide " , an allopathic

drug commonly

used as a oral hypoglycemic agent.

 

Another isolate, polypeptide-P has been shown to lower blood glucose

when administered via subcutaneous injections.

 

A variety of oral extracts have been shown to lower blood sugar and

improve glucosetolerance in both human and animal studies.

 

*Chakravarthy BK, Gupa S, and Gode KD:

 

Functional beta cell regeneration in the islets of Pancreas in

alloxan induced dibetic rats by epicatechin. Life Sc 31:2693-7, 1982

" ....The results indicated that M. charantia fruits and seeds

contained components that resembled insulin in inhibiting hormone-

induced lipolysis... " *

 

*Wong CM, Yeung HW, Ng TB: Screening of (family Cucurbitaceae) for

compounds with antilipolytic activity.

 

*Journal of Ethnopharmacology 13(3):313-21, July 1985.

http://home.istar.ca/~hlth2000/bittermelon.html

 

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BITTER MELON AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR DIABETES

 

In Myanmar (Burma), China and India, it is highly prized for its

anti-diabetic activity.Myanmar traditional physicians prescribe

bittermelon to diabetic patients.

 

Doctors in India are so confident of bitter melon's positive effect

on diabetes,they dispense bitter melon in some of the most modern

hospitals.

 

According to James Duke of U.S Department of Agriculture, bitter

melon has attained favor in China as a monoherbal medicine for

diabetes mellitus.

 

Bitter melon has twice the potassium of bananas, and it has been

shown to increase the number of *beta cells* -those which produce

insulin, in the pancreas.

 

PREPARATION-

 

Bitter melon is available through most Filipino and/or Asian grocery

stores, and some farmers markets and is also available in supplement

form.

 

The appropriate method of administering bitter melon is to make the

extract from the fruit, vines, and leaves of the plant and either

drink it as a juice, tea or administer it as a retention enema.

 

Some say that drinking the juice or tea will result in the breakdown

of the active components by stomach acids, therefore a retention

enemawould be a more efficient route.

 

Momordica charantia (Bitter melon):

 

Therapeutic Actions, Clinical Indications, and more Diabetic and

Other Metabolic Neuropathies Abstracts

 

THE INFLUENCE OF MOMORDICA CHARANTIA FRUIT JUICE

 

ON PERIPHERAL NERVE STRUCTURE IN EXPERIMENTAL DIABETES

 

Serasee is believed to work in a holistic manner. It is believed to

work best if your food and water are clean and natural, and your

heart and mind are pure. If you eat foods with a lot of chemicals it

won't work so well.

 

If you are full of toxins, use sparingly at first, as purification

reactions may be strong

Mormodica works from the subtlest levels to adjust you toward

health, and works best with your total cooperation in the way of

diet, attitude, etc.

 

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Let's not sugarcoat it. Glucose-lowering drugs can do more harm than

good. The natural therapies used at the Whitaker Wellness Institute

for diabetes help keep blood sugar levels in check without the side

effects of drugs.

 

These drugs usually succeed in lowering blood sugar levels, but may

increase the death rate from heart attacks. (this is listed as a

common side effect!)

 

These drugs also are associated with weight gain, elevated

cholesterol and triglyceride levels, nausea, diarrhea, constipation,

stomach pain, drowsiness, and headache.

 

The Natural Pharmacist: Natural

Treatments for Diabetes includes up-to-date information on diabetes

and chromium,alphalipoic acid, evening primrose oil, fenugreek,

Gymnema sylvestre, magnesium, Momordica charantia, Coccinia indica,

Pterocarpus marssupium, niacinamide, and bilberry treatments.

 

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High-fiber supplements, such as psyllium, guar gum (found in

beans),24 pectin (from fruit) oat bran, and psyllium have improved

glucose tolerance in some studies.

Positive results have also been

reported with the consumption of 1–3 ounces of powdered fenugreek

seeds per day.

 

Many doctors advise people with diabetes to eat a diet high in

fiber.Focus should be placed on vegetables, seeds, oats, and organic

whole-grain products.

The fatty acids (omega-3s) in cold water fish also may afford some

protection from diabetes.

 

Incorporating a fish meal (alaskan salmon for example) into a weight-

loss regimen was more effective than either measure alone at

improving glucose and insulin metabolism and high cholesterol.

 

Vegetarians have been reported to have a low risk of type 2

diabetes.

When people with diabetic nerve damage switch to a vegan

diet (no meat or dairy), improvements have been reported after

several days.

 

 

mrsjoguest