Bittermelon Bytes

Do you promptly discard Karela, the moment you spot it? Then you are in for a surprise! Beneath its bumpy exterior and awful taste hide a plethora of medicinal properties. This nutrition-rich-green veggie is loaded with iron, beta carotene, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, B vitamins and dietary fiber.

Bitter Melon Basics

• From native healers in Amazon to Ayurvedic doctors in India, bitter melon has been used to treat diabetes, as it is a natural hypoglycemic. Bitter melon has also been reported to increase the number of beta cells (cells that secrete insulin) in the pancreas, thereby improving our body’s capability to produce insulin
  Bitter melon acts as an excellent antiseptic for people with frequent urinary infections. In India, the plant is also used in treating hemorrhoids, abdominal discomfort, fever, and skin diseases.
• Practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine have used bitter melon as a treatment for skin diseases, especially scabies. It may help in treating psoriasis too. The juice is extracted from the leaf and applied externally to the affected area.
• In traditional Chinese medicine, bitter melon is used to treat dry coughs, bronchitis, and throat problems. The seeds are used topically for skin swellings caused by sprains and fractures, and for sores that are slow to heal.
• American scientists have patented, MAP 30 a protein, found in bitter melon. Test tube researches say that MAP30 is effective against tumors, AIDS, and other viruses.
• Researchers have received some success in treating Herpes with bitter melon, which stands true to its anti viral properties

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