bitter melon and diabetes

Bitter melon grows on a vine with green leaves and yellow flowers. The fruit has a bumpy exterior, like a cucumber, and the inside is yellow-orange. There are many varieties of bitter melon, ranging in color from creamy white, golden, pale green to very dark green. Green melons are the ones most often seen in the United States. Some varieties are only a few inches long with very marked bumps; others are much larger with smoother, less-defined bumps.

The insulin lowering properties of Bitter melon are currently being looked at as an effective treatment for Diabetes. Studies suggest that Bitter Melon play an important role in controlling the production of insulin by the body, and therefore promoting blood sugar control. The hypoglycemic effect is more pronounced in the fruit of Bitter Melon where these chemicals are found in the highest quantity. There are three groups of compounds in Bitter Melon that scientists have found to be responsible for its blood sugar lowering action:
Charantin, a compound of mixed steroids, Polypeptide P, an insuline-like plypeptide which appears to lower blood sugar in type I diabetics. Alkaloids present in the bitter gourd are also noted to have blood sugar lowering effects. Oleanolic Acid Glycosides, these compounds have been found to improve glucose tolerance in Type II diabetics by preventing the absorption of sugar from the intestines. Bitter Melon has also been linked to effects of increasing the number of beta cells in the pancreas as well, and as a result improving the body’s capability to produce insulin.