Local name: Egusi elili (Igbo), Bara (Yoruba)
Scientific name: Citrullus colocynthis
Family: Cucurbitaceae
This fruit is considered the most bitter among all fruits and vegetables.
It grows in a number of areas (including Asia, South America, the Caribbean, and East Africa) where people have used bitter melon for a variety of medical conditions over time.
Bitter melon is rich in vitamins C, A, E, B-1.
Minerals like potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron.
Good source of nutrients like fiber, folate. linked with improved blood sugar control and cholesterol levels.
in addition to being a food ingredient, bitter melon has also long been used as a herbal remedy for a range of ailments, including
Fibroids
Ovarian Cyst
UTI
Chronic constipation
Malaria Fever
Chronic cough
Painful menstruation
Diabetes
Also is Purgative.
It’s effectiveness in handling most of the aforementioned ailment could be more effective with the combination of other roots and herbs.
Bitter melon can be eaten raw or cooked in various recipes.
It can be made into juice with a few other fruits and vegetables for a nutrient-packed beverage.
Alternatively, bitter melon extract can be bought as a herbal supplement.
The fruit itself is available in most herbal shops, while other forms of the fruit-vegetable can be found in most health food shops.
The fruit contains at least three active substances with anti-diabetic properties, including charanti, which has been confirmed to have a blood glucose-lowering effect, vicine and an insulin-like compound known as polypeptide-p.
A number of clinical studies have been conducted to evaluate the efficacy of bitter melon in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
CAUTION:
Not to be taken by pregnant women.
To be taken with caution by Ulcer patients and particularly with other blood sugar-lowering medications.