By: Zoran Jagodić |
Bitter melon – hidden health in the bitterness |
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The active ingredients of bitter melon trigger mechanisms that starve and destroy malignant cells.
Bitter melon or bitter gourd, Latin name Momordica charantia, is a plant whose legendary popularity is confirmed by scientific research.
This plant belongs to the family of tropical and subtropical vine, and grows mostly in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.
Originally the plant originated in India and in the 14th century it was introduced to China, from where it began to spread to other parts of the world.
It is best known for its fruit, which is considered one of the bitter fruits in the world.
The fruit of the bitter melon has a hollow cross section, with a relatively thin layer of flesh surrounding large and flat seeds placed in the middle of the fruit.
This strange plant is used for centuries in Asian and African herbal medicine because of a variety of health benefits.
Bitter melon arrived in Western medicine only recently.
But it has immediately, with full right, attracted the interest of scientists because of many positive effects on human health, especially due to its effect on malign diseases.
The killer of cancer cells
It has been established in many studies that the active ingredients of its juice interfere with glucose metabolism in cancer cells and starves them, denying them essential sugars.
Scientists at the University of Saint Louis have found a beneficial effect of bitter melon flesh on the destruction of breast cancer cells and preventing their multiplication.
A study conducted by researchers at the Center for Cancer Research at the University of Colorado has confirmed that bitter melon juice tends to decrease pancreatic tumor growth.
That study was conducted on rodents and it used bitter melon juice.
The juice was used in two ways: directly on cell cultures or by being frozen and pulverized into a fine powder, which was later used for feeding rodents.
As it says in the study, after 72 hours of testing the tumor cells were reduced by 90% - 98% in rodents who received bitter melon juice diluted in water. Experts believe that such effect is fantastic.
In rodents fed frozen juice powder, there was a 64 percent reduction in tumor cells, which is a much better effect than chemotherapy.
In addition, bitter melon juice does not cause harmful side effects for which chemotherapy is notorious.
Except for pancreatic cancer and breast cancer, it was found that bitter melon juice helps against cancer of prostate, liver, colon and air paths.
Juice prevents the spread of leukemia and neuroblastoma - neuroendocrine tumors - and enhances immune cell functions in people suffering from cancer.
Scientists attribute its curative effect to agglutinin glycoprotein that is found in large quantities in this bitter fruit.
It is similar in activity to insulin, because it lowers the concentration of glucose in the blood and acts as an immune modulator.
In addition to this effect on cancer cells, bitter melon juice:
- protects against malaria
- has anti-viral effects
- relieves digestive problems
- helps with diabetes
- promotes weight loss
- destroys intestinal parasites
- accelerates the healing of burns.
Note: Consumption of bitter melon juice is not recommended for pregnant and nursing women, because substances from plant cause uterine contractions and are transmitted through milk.
Bitter melon in cuisine
The fruit is eaten green or at the stage when it starts to take on a yellow color. Its meat is crunchy and watery, but bitter.
The skin of a young fruit is tender and also edible. With the maturing of the meat, bitter melon skin becomes hard and inedible, and the interior takes on a red color and loses its bitterness.
In some countries of Southeast Asia, the interior of bitter melon is a popular ingredient in many dishes.
It is a common element in Chinese cuisine, as it gives a bitter taste and is usually mixed with potatoes. In some Chinese beers, bitter melon is used instead of hops.
Bitter melon is consumed cooked at a time when it is green or light yellow.
In addition to fruit, dried bitter melon leaves and vines are used for making tea.
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