facts about diabetes and the useful herbs Huereque and Bitter Melon

Diabetes is a condition that affects the way the body uses food for energy. For healthy people, the sugar you take in is digested and broken down to a simple sugar, known as glucose. The glucose then circulates in the blood where it waits to enter cells to be used as fuel. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, helps move the glucose into cells. A healthy pancreas adjusts the amount of insulin based on the level of glucose. But, for people with diabetes, this process breaks down, and blood sugar levels become too high. There are two main types of diabetes. Sufferers from Type 1 diabetes are completely unable to produce insulin. People with Type 2 diabetes can produce insulin, but their cells don't respond to it. In either case, the glucose can't move into the cells and blood glucose levels can become high. Huereque (Ibervillea sonorae) is derived from the root of the Huereque cactus from the Mexican desert. Huereque has a strong effect on lowering blood sugar levels and is widely used in traditional medicine for the control of high blood sugar. Huereque also purifies the blood and the lymphatic system Huereque belongs to the gourd or pumpkin family, which includes plants that have biochemical compounds that can reduce the levels of sugar in the blood. Huereque is also known as “wereke”, “Guareque”, “Wareki” and “Choyalhuan”. Another useful herb in order to lower the blood sugar is Bitter Melon. Bitter Melon grows in tropical areas like Asia, the Caribbean, and South America, where it is used as food as well as medicine. At least three different components in Bitter Melon have been reported to have blood sugar lowering or other actions of benefit in diabetes mellitus. These include a mixture of steroidal saponins known as charantin, insulin-like peptides, and alkaloids. The use of Bitter Melon has been shown to improve glucose tolerance without increasing blood insulin levels, and to improve fasting blood glucose levels. Our unique natural combination of Huereque (500 mg) and Bitter Melon (250 mg) will let you take control of your diabetes. This is an excellent opportunity to try Huereque if you have not heard about it before. Read more!

how bitter melon can lower blood sugar levels

Bitter melon is perhaps the most bitter of all vegetables. Bitter melon is member of the squash family, native to southern China. Bitter melon is consumed by millions of people around the world in the Far East as well as in many Central and South American and Caribbean countries. Bitter melon is rich in iron, and has twice the beta carotene of broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach, twice the potassium of bananas, and contains vitamins B and C. Its bitterness comes from the high concentration of quinine. Bitter Melon, also known as Bitter Gourd and Karela, has been traditionally used to regulate blood sugar levels. Bitter Melon’s powerful insulin lowering properties are currently being looked at as an effective treatment for Diabetes. Studies suggest that Bitter Melon may play a role in controlling the production of insulin by the body, thus 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. Some of the documented studies show this bitter gourd to enhance cells’ uptake of glucose, to promote insulin release, and to make the effect of insulin more potent. In Ayurvedic medicine, Bitter Melon is seen as a “plant-insulin”, and some studies show that, if administered correctly, it can behave similarly to slow-acting animal insulin. The Department of Health in the Philippines has recommended bitter melon as one of the best herbal medicines for diabetic management. Together Huereque and Bitter Melon is a strong combination against high blood sugar levels. Read more!

diabetes basics

Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by high blood sugar levels. Normally, blood glucose levels are controlled by insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas). Insulin lowers the blood glucose level. When the blood glucose raise (for example, after eating), insulin is released from the pancreas to normalize the glucose level. In patients with diabetes, the absence or insufficient production of insulin causes hyperglycemia. Diabetes affects approximately 17 million people (about 8% of the population) in the United States. In addition, about 12 million people in the United States have diabetes without knowing it. There are two major types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas undergoes an autoimmune attack by the body itself, and is rendered incapable of making insulin. Abnormal antibodies have been found in the majority of patients with type 1 diabetes. Antibodies are proteins in the blood that are part of the body's immune system. The patient with type 1 diabetes must rely on insulin medication for survival. In type 2 diabetes, patients can still produce insulin, but do so relatively inadequately for their body's needs. In many cases this actually means the pancreas produces larger than normal quantities of insulin. A major feature of type 2 diabetes is a lack of sensitivity to insulin by the cells of the body (particularly fat and muscle cells). In addition to the problems with an increase in insulin resistance, the release of insulin by the pancreas may also be defective and suboptimal. Blood Sugar Combo with Huereque and Bitter Melon can be useful help in order to lower the blood sugar levels.

bitter melon, natural insulin

The healthy nerd has an interesting post about bitter melon. The healthy nerd refers to bitter melon as natural insulin and shows on several trials where the power of bitter melon has been investigated.

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.

bitter melon

Here is a link to an interesting blog post about bitter melon. We learn that “In India, doctors are so confident of bitter melon that they dispense it in some of the most modern hospitals as a cure for diabetes. Bitter melon has twice the potassium of bananas, and is proven to increase the number of beta cells (cells that produce insulin), in the pancreas”

bitter melon

Bitter melon contains an array of biologically active plant chemicals including triterpenes, proteins and steroids, in numerous studies, at least three different groups of constituents found in all parts of bitter melon have clinically demonstrated blood sugar-lowering properties. Bitter melon has the ability to enhance a cells uptake of glucose, to promote insulin release and to potentiate the effect of insulin. Bitter melon lowers blood sugar by increasing the activity hexokinase and glucokinase- enzymes in the body that convert sugar into glycogen stored in the liver.

In the December issue 2003 of Journal of Phytotherapy, the Doctors W Jia, W Jao, and L Tang writes “Pharmacological and clinical evaluations indicate that bitter melon had a significant blood glucose lowering effect and that the long term use may be advantageous over chemical drug in alleviating some of the chronic disease and complications caused by diabetes. The use of natural agents in conjunction with conventional drug treatment, such as insulin, permits the use of lower doses of the drug and/or decreased frequency of administration which decreases the side effects most commonly observed”. Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) and Huereque (Ibervillea sonorae) are the ingredients of Blood Sugar Combo from Nepatica.

the national bitter melon council

Bitter Melon is one of the powerful ingredients in Blood Sugar Combo (the other one is Huereqe Ibervillea Sonorae) but it is also a tasty, but bitter, food. Check out The National Bitter Melon Council to learn more.

type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin, which is made in our pancreas, helps the body's cells use sugar from our bloodstream, which comes from foods and drinks. Sugar is a source of energy for cells. With type 2 diabetes, high levels of sugar build up in the blood. This can lead to serious health problems. That's why lowering blood sugar is the key to manage diabetes. High blood sugar can harm the organs and raise the risk of heart disease. Blood Sugar Combo with Huereque (Ibervillea sonorae) and Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia) is a powerful natural tool in the fight against diabetes and high blood sugar levels.

momordica charantia

Huereque is the main ingredient in Blood Sugar Combo and the other ingredient is Bitter Melon. Bitter Melon is also known as Balsam Pear, Karela and Bitter Gourd. The scientific name is Momordica charantia. Bitter Melon and Huereque are related to each other since both are member of the gourd or pumpkin family. The gourd family includes various plats which have biochemical compounds that can reduce the glucose level in the blood.

Bitter Melon grows in tropical areas, including parts of East Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and South America, where it is used as a food as well as a medicine. Bitter Melon contains a hypoglycemic or insulin-like principle, “plant-insulin”, which has been found highly beneficial in lowering the blood and urine sugar levels. Huereque and Bitter Melon is a powerful couple in the fight against diabetes. Try Blood Sugar Combo today.