Description
Botanical: Momordica charantia
Other common names: Wild Cucumber, Bitter Gourd
Country of Origin: India
Bitter melon (also known as Momordica charantia, bitter gourd, wild cucumber, and more) is a plant that gets its name from its taste. It becomes more and more bitter as it ripens.
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 contains many nutrients that can be beneficial to your health. It’s linked to lowering blood sugar, which some studies suggest means it can aid in diabetes treatment.
Bitter melon is linked to lowering the body’s blood sugar. This is because the bitter melon has properties that act like insulin, which helps bring glucose into the cells for energy. The consumption of bitter melon can help your cells utilize glucose and move it to your liver, muscles, and fat. The melon may also be able to help your body retain nutrients by blocking their conversion to glucose that ends up in your blood stream.
Bitter melon isn’t an approved treatment or medication for prediabetes or diabetes despite the evidence that it can manage blood sugar.
Several studies have examined bitter melon and diabetes. Most recommend conducting more research before using any form of the melon for diabetes management.
