Bitter Melon

Momordica charantia is also commonly referred to as bitter melon, bitter gourd, karela or balsam pear.

Bitter melon has been traditionally used to support healthy blood sugar levels. Diabetes and other related conditions among the native populations of Asia, South America, India, the Caribbean, and East Africa are affected by an imbalance of blood sugar levels. There is an abundance of pre-clinical studies that document the health benefits including the possible support of blood sugar levels. *

Bitter melon is traditionally known for its health properties to support blood sugar, assists natural healing, the immune system as well as healthy cholesterol. Conditions like cancer and diabetes are affected by blood sugar levels as well as the immune system. Bitter melon might just be one of the most useful plants to support human health. *

• The main constituents of bitter melon which are responsible for supporting blood sugar levels are triterpene, proteid, steroid, alkaloid, inorganic lipid, and phenolic compounds [1][2].*
• Four triterpenoids have AMP-activated protein kinase activity, which may account for the blood pressure supporting mechanism of bitter melon [3].*
• Momordicine II, 3-hydroxycucurbita-5, 24-dien-19-al-7, 23-di-O-b-glucopyranoside, are saponins found in bitter melon. These compounds show significant glucose support in optimal blood sugar blood health [4].*
• Charantin is a typical cucurbitane-type triterpenoid found in bitter melon and is a potential substance with blood sugar supporting properties. It is a mixture of two compounds; namely sitosteryl glucoside and stigmasteryl glucoside [5].*
• Bitter melon also contains polypeptide-p or p-insuIin, which is an insuIin-like hypoglycemic protein that can lower our blood glucose levels. The p-insuIin works by mimicking the actions of human insuIin in the body and can be considered as a plant-based blood sugar supporting properties [6].*
• Glycolalkaloids (also known as vicine) is a pyrimidine nucleoside that has been shown to support healthy blood sugar [7].*
• An earlier study on the development of diabetic-caused cataracts demonstrated that blood sugar level-dependent cataracts formation happens. Bitter melon extract helps support blood health and is associated with better glucose homeostasis [15].*

Other Health Benefits of Bitter Melon:

• It contains many phenolic compounds that exhibits potential free radical scavengers and in the management of health cell production [2].*
• The fruit, stems, leaves, and roots of the bitter melon plant have all been used in traditional medicine to help support digestive and menstrual health [8]. The extract can also be used as a bacterial management. [13]*
• Bitter melon is shown to have immune supporting properties, which assists in healthly viral management [9][10].*
• Studies have also shown that bitter melon possesses healthy cell production supporting properties [11].*
• A study by Ray et al. showed that bitter melon extract modulates signal transduction pathways and may support breast health [12].*

1. The plant also possesses anthelmintic properties which may assist in healthy malaria response [14].*

Bitter melon is a powerful, nutrient-dense plant that comprises of a complex array of beneficial compounds.
The fruits contain high amounts of Vitamin C, A, E, B1, B2 and B3, as well as Vitamin B9 (folate or folic acid). The fruit is also rich in minerals like potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus and iron, and is a good source of dietary fiber.
The medicinal value of bitter melon has been attributed to its high antioxidant properties due in part to phenols, flavonoids, isoflavones, terpenes, anthraquinones, and glucosinolates; all of which confer a bitter taste. The fruits also consists of glycosides, saponins, alkaloids, reducing sugars, resins, phenolic constituents, fixed oil, and free acids that include the following: Charine, cryptoxanthin, cucurbitin, cucurbitacin, cucurbitane, cycloartenol, diosgenin, eleostearic acid, erythrodiol, galacturonic acid, gentisic acid, goyaglycoside, goyasaponin, guanylate cyclase inhibitors, gypsogenin, hydroxytryptamine, karounidiol, lanosterol, lauric acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, momorcharaside, momorcharin, momordenol, momordicilin, momordicin, momordicinin, momordicoside, momordin, momordolo, multiflorenol, myristic acid, nerolidol, oleanolic acid, oleic acid, oxalic acid, pentadecan, peptide, petroselinic acid, polypeptide, protein, ribosome-inactivating proteins, rosmarinic acid, rubixanthin, spinasterol, steroidal glycoside, stigmasta-diol, stigmasterol, taraxerol, trehalose, trypsin inhibitors, uracil, vacine, v-insuIin, verbascoside, vicine, zeatin, zeatin riboside, zeaxanthin, zeinoxanthin amino acids-aspartic acid, serine, glutamic acid, thscinne, alanine, g-amino butyric acid, ascorbigen, b-sitosterol-d-glucoside, citrulline, elasterol, flavochrome, lutein, lycopene, pipecolic acid, and soluble pectin [16][17].

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