10 Tanaman Ajaib Penurun Kadar Gula Darah

Anda penderita Diabetes? Jika kadar gula darah Anda bermasalah, tak ada salahnya mencoba 10 bahan berikut yang membantu menurunkan gula darah, meningkatkan sensitifitas insulin, menurunkan tekanan darah tinggi dan kolesterol, dan beberapa manfaat lain.

1. Gymnema Sylvestre
Fungsi utama: Menurunkan gula darah
Dosis umum: 200 - 250 miligram per hari
Gymnema SylvestreNama Hindi tumbuhan ini berarti ‘penghancur gula’, dan tanaman ini dikatakan memiliki kemampuan untuk menurunkan kemampuan mendeteksi rasa manis. Tanaman ini dianggap sebagai tanaman paling kuat untuk mengendalikan gula darah.

Kemungkinan besar, cara kerjanya adalah dengan meningkatkan aktivitas enzim yang membantu sel tubuh untuk menggunakan glukosa atau dengan merangsang produksi insulin. Walaupun belum ada penelitian intensif, tapi belum ditemukan adanya efek samping serius untuk penggunaan tanaman ini.

2. Pare
Fungsi utama: Menurunkan gula darah
Dosis umum: 50 - 100 mililiter (3-6 sdm) jus per hari
Pare yang pahit ini dianggap mampu membantu sel menggunakan glukosa secara lebih efektif dan meredam penyerapan gula di dalam usus. Para peneliti di Filipina yang meneliti konsumsi pare kepada pria dan wanita dalam bentuk kapsul selama 3 bulan menemukan adanya penurunan gula darah, walaupun sedikit, tetapi konstan. Permasalahan yang muncul adalah masalah pencernaan, tapi tidak jelas apa.

3. Magnesium
Fungsi utama: Menurunkan gula darah
Dosis umum: 250 - 350 miligram per hari
Kekurangan magnesium tidak jarang ditemui sebagai salah satu penyebab diabetes, bahkan gejala ini memperburuk kondisi gula darah dan resistansi insulin. Beberapa penelitian menunjukkan bahwa suplemen magnesium dapat memperbaiki fungsi insulin dan menurunkan gula darah. Coba konsultasikan dengan dokter Anda sebelum mengkonsumsi insulin.

4. Prickly Pear Cactus (Daging buah kaktus)
Fungsi utama: Menurunkan gula darah
Dosis umum: jika dikonsumsi sebagai makanan, 150 gram rebusan kaktus per hari.

Buah matang dari kaktus ini mampu menurunkan kadar gula darah dalam tubuh. Bentuk yang bisa ditemui adalah dalam bentuk buah, atau jus, atau bubuk. Para peneliti menemukan bahwa buah ini menurunkan kadar gula darah karena adanya komponen yang mirip dengan insulin. Buah ini juga tinggi kadar seratnya.

5. Gamma-Linolenic Acid (Asam Linoleat Gamma)
Fungsi utama: Mengurangi sakit saraf
Dosis umum: 270 - 540 milligrams sekali per hari
Asam Linoleat Gamma, atau GLA adalah asam lemak yang ditemukan dalam minyak bunga evening primrose. Beberapa penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penderita diabetes adalah orang yang memiliki level GLA rendah dalam darah, dan penelitian menunjukkan bahwa suplemen ini dapat menurunkan, bahkan mencegah sakit di saraf yang muncul akibat diabetes

6. Chromium (Krom)
Fungsi utama: Menurunkan kadar gula
Dosis umum: 200 mikrogram per hari.

Mineral ini dianggap mampu meningkatkan kinerja insulin dan terlibat juga dalam metabolisme karbohidrat, lemak dan protein. Beberapa penelituan menunjukkan bahwa mineral ini membantu menurunkan gula darah, tapi hanya untuk mereka yang memang kekurangan krom.

7. Bilberry
Fungsi utama: Melindungi mata dan syaraf
Dosis umum: 80-120 miligram standar billberry extract per hari.
Saudara blueberry ini memiliki antioksidan kuat dalam buah dan daunnya. Antioksidan yang dinamai antosianidin ini, membantu mencegah kerusakan sel darah kecil yang dapat merusak saraf dan retina mata. Penelitian terhadap hewan menunjukkan adanya penurunan gula darah juga akibat konsumsi buah

8. Alpha-Lipoic Acid (Asam Alpha Lopoic)
Fungsi utama: Mengurangi rasa sakit syaraf, dan menurunkan kadar gula darah
Dosis umum: 600-800 miligram per hari.

Disingkat ALA, bahan yang mirip vitamin ini menetralkan berbagai radikal bebas. Pembentukan radikal bebas adalah salah satu faktor peningkatan gula darah, dapat membuat kerusakan saraf dan berbagai masalah lain. ALA jg mampu membantu sel otot untuk menyerap gula darah. Di salah satu penelitian di Jerman, sekelompok peneliti memerika 40 orang dewasa yang mengkonsumsi ALA dan placebo. Di akhir studi selama 4 minggu, ditemukan bahwa ALA meningkatkan sensitifitas insulin sebanyak 27 persen.

9. Fenugreek
Fungsi utama: Menurunkan gula darah
Dosis umum: 5 sampai 30 gram setuap makan, atau 15 sampai 90 gr per hari.
Biji-bijian yang digunakan sebagai bumbu masakan India ini mampu menurunkan tekanan darah, meningkatkan sensitifitas insulin, dan menurunkan kolesterol, menurut beberapa penelitian. Efek ini mungkin timbul karena tingginya kadar serat. Bijinya jg mengandung asam amino yang meningkatkan produksi insulin. Di salah satu penelitian terhadap fenugreek, 60 orang yang mengkonsumsi 25 gr bumbu ini menunjukkan peningkatan yang baik terhadap pengendalian gula darah.

10. Ginseng
Fungsi utama: Menurunkan gula darah
Dosis umum: 1-3 gram per hari dalam bentuk kapsul atau tablet, 3-5 mililiter dalam bentuk tincture 3kali sehari.
Dikenal karena kemampuannya yang mendorong sistem kekebalan tubuh, ginseng ini memiliki beberapa hasil positif mengenai diabetes. Para peneliti menemukan bahwa ginseng memperlambat penyerapan karbohidrat, meningkatkan kemampuan sel dalam menyerap glukosa, dan meningkatkan pelepasan insulin dari pankreas. Ditemukan juga di Toronto dalam suatu penelitian, bahwa ginseng mampu menurunkan kadar gula sampai 15-20 persen.

Tak ada salahnya Anda mencoba suplemen alami tersebut, tapi ada baiknya konsultasikan dengan dokter Anda sebelum mengonsumsinya. Jika tidak ada perubahan setelah satu atau dua bulan, hentikan dan jangan buang-bunga lagi uang Anda. Salam sehat! (kpl/wiedy/rit)

Sumber: KapanLagi.com

Pare

(Momordica charantia L.)
Sinonim :
= M.balsamina, Blanco. = M.balsamina, Descourt. = M.cylindrica, Blanco. = M.jagorana C.Koch. = M.operculata, Vell. = Cucumis africanus, Lindl.

Familia :
Cucurbitaceae

Uraian :
Pare banyak terdapat di daerah tropika, tumbuh baik di dataran rendah dan dapat ditemukan tumbuh liar di tanah terlantar, tegalan, dibudidayakan atau ditanam di pekarangan dengan dirambatkan di pagar, untuk diambil buahnya. Tanaman ini tidak memerlukan banyak sinar matahari, sehingga dapat tumbuh subur di tempat-tempat yang agak terlindung. Tanaman setahun, merambat atau memanjat dengan alat pembelit atau sulur berbentuk spiral, banyak bercabang, berbau tidak enak. Batang berusuk lima, panjang 2-5 m, yang muda berambut rapat. Daun tunggal, bertangkai yang panjangnya 1,5-5,3 cm, letak berseling, bentuknya bulat panjang, dengan panjang 3,5-8,5 cm, lebar 4 cm, berbagi menjari 5-7, pangkal berbentuk jantung, warnanya hijau tua. Taju bergigi kasar sampai berlekuk menyirip. Bunga tunggal, berkelamin dua dalam satu pohon, bertangkai panjang, berwarna kuning. Buah bulat memanjang, dengan 8-10 rusuk memanjang, berbintil-bintil tidak beraturan, panjangnya 8-30 cm, rasanya pahit. Warna buah hijau, bila masak menjadi oranye yang pecah dengan 3 katup. Biji banyak, coklat kekuningan, bentuknya pipih memanjang, keras. Ada 3 jenis tanaman pare, yaitu pare gajih, pare kodok dan pare hutan. Pare gajih berdaging tebal, warnanya hijau muda atau keputihan, bentuknya besar dan panjang dan rasanya tidak begitu pahit. Pare kodok buahnya bulat pendek, rasanya pahit. Pare hutan adalah pare yang tumbuh liar, buahnya kecil-kecil dan rasanya pahit. Untuk memperoleh buah yang panjang dan lurus, biasanya pada ujung buah yang masih kecil digantungkan batu. Daun dari pare yang tumbuh liar, dinamakan daun tundung. Daun ini dikatakan lebih berkhasiat bila digunakan untuk pengobatan. Daun dan buahnya yang masih muda dimakan sebagai lalab mentah atau setelah dikukus terlebih dahulu, dimasak sebagai sayuran, tumis, sambal goreng, gado-gado, dan sebagainya. Tanaman ini juga dapat digunakan untuk membunuh serangga. Perbanyakan dengan biji.

Nama Lokal :
Paria, pare, pare pahit, pepareh (Jawa). Prieu, peria, foria,; Pepare, kambeh, paria (Sumatera). Paya, paria, truwuk, ; Paita, paliak, pariak, pania, pepule (Nusa tenggara). Poya, ; Pudu, pentu, paria belenggede, palia (Sulawesi). Papariane,; Pariane, papari, kakariano, taparipong, papariano, popare, pepare;

Penyakit Yang Dapat Diobati :
Batuk, radang tenggorokan, Sakit Mata merah, Demam, malaria.; Menambah napsu makan, kencing manis, Rhematik, Sariawan; Bisul, Abses, Demam, malaria, sakit lever, sembelit, cacingan;

BAGIAN YANG DIPAKAI: Buah, biji, bunga, daun dan akar.

KEGUNAAN:
Buah:
- Batuk, radang tenggorok (pharyngitis).
- Haus karena panas dalam.
- Mata sakit dan merah.
- Demam, malaria.
- Pingsan karena udara panas (heatstroke).
- Menambah napsu makan.
- kencing manis.
- Disentri.
- Rheumatism, rematik gout.
- Memperbanyak air susu (ASI).
- Datang haid sakit (dismenorrhoea).
- Sariawan.
- lnfeksi cacing gelang.

Bunga:
- Pencernaan terganggu

Daun:
- Cacingan.
- Luka, abses, bisul.
- Erysipelas.
- Terlambat haid.
- Sembelit, menambah napsu makan.
- Sakit lever.
- Demam.
- Melancarkan pengeluaran ASI.
- Sifilis, kencing nanah (Gonorrhea).
- Menyuburkan rambut pada anak balita.

Akar:
- Disentri amuba.
- Wasir.

Biji:
- Cacingan.
- Impotensi,
- Kanker.

PEMAKAIAN:
Untuk minum: 15-30 g di juice atau di rebus.
Pemakaian luar. Buah atau daun secukupnya digiling halus, untuk pemakaian setempat pada luka bakar, bisul, abses, eksim, digigit serangga, biang keringat (miliaria), melancarkan pengeluaran ASI, dan sebagainya.

CARA PEMAKAIAN:
1. Haus karena panas dalam, demam, heat stroke:
Satu buah pare mentah yang masih segar dicuci bersih, lalu dibelah.
Buang isinya, potong-potong secukupnya, lalu direbus dengan 3
gelas air bersih sampai tersisa 1 gelas. Setelah dingin disaring,
minum.

2. Diabetes:
a. 200 g buah pare segar dicuci bersih lalu diblender. Tambahkan
air minum secukupnya, lalu diperas dengan sepotong kain sampai
terkumpul sebanyak 50 ml (seperempat gelas). Perasan
dihangatkan dengan api kecil selama 15-30 menit. Setelah dingin
diminum, lakukan setiap hari.

b. 200 g buah pare dicuci bersih lalu diiris tipis-tipis. Rebus dengan
3 gelas air bersih sampai tersisa 1 gelas. Setelah dingin disaring,
minum, Lakukan setiap hari.

3. Disentri.
Buah pare segar dicuci lalu dibelah, isinya dibuang. Parut atau
dijuice, airnya diminum. Segera minum air matang. Satu kali minum
200 cc.

4. Disentri amuba, diare:
Ambil akar pare yang masih segar sebanyak 30 g. Dicuci bersih lalu
dipotong-potong seperlunya. Rebus dengan 3 gelas air sampai
tersisa 1 gelas. Setelah dingin disaring, tambahkan gula pasir
secukupnya lalu diminum.

5. Cacingan pada anak:
a. Daun segar sebanyak 7 g, diseduh dengan 1/2 cangkir air panas.
Setelah dingin disaring, tambahkan 1 sendok teh madu. Aduk
sampai merata, minum sekaligus sebelum makan pagi.

b. Ambil dua sampai tiga biji pare. Giling sampai halus, aduk dengan
sedikit air masak. Minum, disusul dengan minum air hangat.
Ramuan ini untuk pengobatan infeksi cacing gelang.

6. Menyuburkan rambut yang tipis dan kemerahan:
a. Ambil segenggam daun pare, cuci bersih. Daun kemudian
ditumbuk sampai seperti bubur, tambahkan air 3/4 gelas. Ramuan
ini kemudian diembunkan semalaman. Pagi-pagi ramuan ini
disaring, airnya dipakai untuk membasuh kulit kepala.

b. Ambil daun pare yang masih segar secukupnya, lalu dicuci bersih.
Daun pare tadi ditumbuk sampai halus, lalu diperas dengan
sepotong kain. Airnya dipakai untuk melumas kulit kepala.
Lakukan setiap hari. Ramuan ini terutama digunakan untuk bayi
dan anak balita.

7. Bisul, abses:
Ambil segenggam daun pare, cuci bersih lalu direbus dengan 3 gelas
air bersih sampai tersisa 1 gelas. Setelah dingin disaring, minum.

8. Demam, malaria, sakit lever, sembelit, cacingan:
Segenggam penuh daun pare dicuci bersih, lalu ditumbuk halus.
Tambahkan 1 cangkir air matang, diaduk merata lalu disaring. Air
saringannya ditambahkan sedikit garam, lalu diminum pada pagi hari
sebelum makan.

9. Kencing nanah:
6 lembar daun pare, 2 jari akar jayanti, 2 jari kulit kemboja, 1 jari
rimpang temulawak, 3 jari gula enau, dicuci dan dipotong-potong
seperlunya. Rebus dengan 4 gelas

Komposisi :
SIFAT KIMIAWI DAN EFEK FARMAKOLOGIS: Pahit, dingin, Anti radang. Masuk meridian jantung, hati dan paru. Buah: Peluruh dahak, pembersih darah, menambah napsu makan, penurun panas, penyegar badan. Bunga: Memacu enzim pencernaan. Daun: Peluruh haid, pencahar, perangsang muntah, penurun panas. KANDUNGAN KIMIA: Daun: Momordisin, momordin, karantin, asam trikosanik, resin, asam resinat, saponin, vitamin A dan C serta minyak lemak terdiri dari asam oleat, asam linoleat, asam stearat dan L.oleostearat. Buah: Karantin, hydroxytryptamine, vitamin A,B dan C. Biji: Momordisin.

Sumber : Sentra Informasi IPTEK

Bitter melon ( Momordica charantia )

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Momordica
Species: M. charantia
Binomial name
Momordica charantia
Descourt.

Momordica charantia is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown for edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of all vegetables. English names for the plant and its fruit include bitter melon or bitter gourd (translated from Chinese: 苦瓜; pinyin: kǔguā)

The original home of the species is not known, other than that it is a native of the tropics. It is widely grown in South and Southeast Asia, China, Africa, and the Caribbean.

The herbaceous, tendril-bearing vine grows to 5 m. It bears simple, alternate leaves 4-12 cm across, with 3-7 deeply separated lobes. Each plant bears separate yellow male and female flowers.

The fruit has a distinct warty looking exterior and an oblong shape. It is hollow in cross-section, with a relatively thin layer of flesh surrounding a central seed cavity filled with large flat seeds and pith. Seeds and pith appear white in unripe fruits, ripening to red; they are not intensely bitter and can be removed before cooking. However, the pith will become sweet when the fruit is fully ripe, and the pith's color will turn red. The pith can be eaten uncooked in this state, but the flesh of the melon will be far too tough to be eaten anymore. Red and sweet bitter melon pith is a popular ingredient in some special southeast Asian style salad. The flesh is crunchy and watery in texture, similar to cucumber, chayote or green bell pepper. The skin is tender and edible. The fruit is most often eaten green. Although it can also be eaten when it has started to ripen and turn yellowish, it becomes more bitter as it ripens. The fully ripe fruit turns orange and mushy, is too bitter to eat, and splits into segments which curl back dramatically to expose seeds covered in bright red pulp.

Bitter melon comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. The typical Chinese phenotype is 20 to 30 cm long, oblong with bluntly tapering ends and pale green in color, with a gently undulating, warty surface. The bitter melon more typical of India has a narrower shape with pointed ends, and a surface covered with jagged, triangular "teeth" and ridges. Coloration is green or white. Between these two extremes are any number of intermediate forms. Some bear miniature fruit of only 6 - 10 cm in length, which may be served individually as stuffed vegetables. These miniature fruit are popular in Southeast Asia as well as India.

Culinary uses
A small green bitter melon (front) and a scoop of Okinawan gōyā chanpurū stirfry (back)Bitter gourd (boiled, drained, no salt)
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 20 kcal 80 kJ
Carbohydrates 4.32 g
- Sugars 1.95 g
- Dietary fiber 2.0 g
Fat 0.18 g
- saturated 0.014 g
- monounsaturated 0.033 g
- polyunsaturated 0.078 g
Protein 0.84 g
Water 93.95 g
Vitamin A equiv. 6 μg 1%
Thiamin (Vit. B1) 0.051 mg 4%
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.053 mg 4%
Niacin (Vit. B3) 0.280 mg 2%
Vitamin B6 0.041 mg 3%
Folate (Vit. B9) 51 μg 13%
Vitamin B12 0 μg 0%
Vitamin C 33.0 mg 55%
Vitamin E 0.14 mg 1%
Vitamin K 4.8 μg 5%
Calcium 9 mg 1%
Iron 0.38 mg 3%
Magnesium 16 mg 4%
Phosphorus 36 mg 5%
Potassium 319 mg 7%
Sodium 6 mg 0%
Zinc 0.77 mg 8%

Percentages are relative to US
recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient database
Bitter melons are seldom mixed with other vegetables due to the strong bitter taste, although this can be moderated to some extent by salting and then washing the cut melon before use.

Bitter melon is often used in Chinese cooking for its bitter flavor, typically in stir-fries (often with pork and douchi), soups, and also as tea.

It is also a popular vegetable in Indian and Pakistani cooking, where it is often prepared with potatoes and served with yogurt on the side to offset the bitterness, or used in sabji. Bitter melon is stuffed with spices and then fried in oil, which is very popular in Punjabi Cuisine. It a popular food in Tamil Nadu and referred as பாகற்காய் (Pagarkai) slangly called as Pavakkai பாவக்காய். Bitter Gourd is popular in the cuisine of South Indian state of Kerala. They use it for making a dish called thoran mixed with grated coconut, theeyal and pachadi. This is one common medicinal food for diabetics. In Karnataka, the term used for bitter gourd is

haagalakai (ಹಾಗಲಕಾಯಿ) and used in preparation of a delicacy called gojju (ಗೊಜ್ಜು). In Andhra Pradesh, it is called as " Kaakarakaaya " (కాకరకాయ). Popular recipes are curry, deep fry with pea nuts (ground nuts) , 'Pachi Pulusu' (కాకరకాయ పచ్చి పులుసు), a kind of soup made up of boiled Bitter Melon, fried onions and other spices.

Bitter melon is rarely used in mainland Japan, but is a significant component of Okinawan cuisine.

In Indonesia, bitter melon is prepared in various dishes, such as stir fry, cooked in coconut milk, or steamed.

In Vietnam, raw bitter melon slices consumed with dried meat floss and stuffed to make bitter melon soup with shrimp are popular dishes. Bitter melons stuffed with ground pork are served as a popular summer soup in the South.

It is prepared in various dishes in the Philippines, where it is known as Ampalaya. Ampalaya may also be stir-fried with ground beef and oyster sauce, or with eggs and diced tomato.

A very popular dish from the Ilocos region of the Philippines, pinakbet, consists mainly of bitter melons, eggplant, okra, string beans, tomatoes, lima beans, and other various regional vegetables stewed with a little bagoong-based stock.

The young shoots and leaves may also be eaten as greens; in the Philippines, where bitter melon leaves are commonly consumed, they are called dahon (leaves) ng ampalaya.

The seeds can also be eaten, and have a sweet taste; but are known to cause nausea.

In Nepal bitter melon is prepared in various ways. Most prepare it as fresh achar (a type of salsa). For this the bitter gourd is cut into cubes or slices and sautéed covered in little oil and a sprinkle of water. When it is softened and reduced, it is minced in a mortar with few cloves of garlic, salt and a red or green pepper. Another way is the sautéed version. In this, bitter gourd is cut in thin round slices or cubes and fried (sauteed) with much less oil and some salt, cumin and red chili. It is fried until the vegetable softens with hints of golden brown. It is even prepared as a curry on its own, or with potato; and made as stuffed vegetables.

In Pakistan bitter melon is available in the summertime, and is cooked with lots of onions.

A Malaysian-style bitter melon dish, cooked with sambal, onion, and red bird's-eye chili peppersA traditional way to cook bitter melon curry is to peel off the skin and cut into thin slices. It is salted and exposed to direct sunlight for few hours to reduce its bitterness. After a few hours, its salty, bitter water is reduced by squeezing out the excess by hand. Then it's rinsed with water a few times. Then fried in cooking oil, with onions also fried in another pan. When the onions have turned a little pink in color, the fried bitter melon is added to them. After some further frying of both the onions and bitter melon, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, coriander powder, and a pinch of cumin seeds are also added. A little water can be sprinkled while frying the spices to prevent burning. Then a good amount of tomato is added to the curry, with green chillies, according to taste. Now the pan is covered with a lid, heat reduced to minimum, the tomatoes reduce, and all the spices work their magic. The curry is stirred a few times (at intervals) during this covering period. After half an hour or so, the curry is ready to serve, with soft hot flatbreads (chappatis, چپاتی) and yogurt chutney.

Another dish in Pakistan calls for whole, unpeeled bitter melon to be boiled and then stuffed with cooked ground beef. In this dish, it is recommended that the bitter melon be left 'debittered'. It is either served with hot tandoori bread, naan, chappati, or with khichri (a mixture of lentils and rice).

Medicinal uses
Bitter melons have been used in various Asian traditional medicine systems for a long time [1]. Like most bitter-tasting foods, bitter melon stimulates digestion. While this can be helpful in people with sluggish digestion, dyspepsia, and constipation, it can sometimes make heartburn and ulcers worse. The fact that bitter melon is also a demulcent and at least mild inflammation modulator, however, means that it rarely does have these negative effects, based on clinical experience and traditional reports.

Though it has been claimed that bitter melon’s bitterness comes from quinine,[2] no evidence could be located supporting this claim. Bitter melon is traditionally regarded by Asians, as well as Panamanians and Colombians, as useful for preventing and treating malaria. Laboratory studies have confirmed that various species of bitter melon have anti-malarial activity, though human studies have not yet been published [3].

In Panama bitter melon is known as Balsamino. The pods are smaller and bright orange when ripe with very sweet red seeds, but only the leaves of the plant are brewed in hot water to create a tea to treat malaria and diabetes. The leaves are allowed to steep in hot water before being strained throughly so that only the remaining liquid is used for the tea.

Laboratory tests suggest that compounds in bitter melon might be effective for treating HIV infection [4]. As most compounds isolated from bitter melon that impact HIV have either been proteins or glycoproteins lectins), neither of which are well-absorbed, it is unlikely that oral intake of bitter melon will slow HIV in infected people. It is possible oral ingestion of bitter melon could offset negative effects of anti-HIV drugs, if a test tube study can be shown to be applicable to people [5]. In one preliminary clinical trial, an enema form of a bitter melon extract showed some benefits in people infected with HIV (Zhang 1992). Clearly more research is necessary before this could be recommended.

The other realm showing the most promise related to bitter melon is as an immunomodulator. One clinical trial found very limited evidence that bitter melon might improve immune cell function in people with cancer, but this needs to be verified and amplified in other research [6]. If proven correct this is another way bitter melon could help people infected with HIV.

Folk wisdom has it that ampalaya helps to prevent or counteract type-II diabetes. A recent scientific study at JIPMER, India has proved that ampalaya increases insulin sensitivity[7]. Regardless of its efficacy in this regard, it is sold in the Philippines as a food supplement and elixir for this purpose. Studies so far demonstrate improvement but not cure in some diabetic parameters.

Bitter Melon contains four very promising bioactive compounds.
These compounds activate a protein called AMPK, which is well known for regulating fuel metabolism and enabling glucose uptake, processes which are impaired in diabetics.

("We can now understand at a molecular level why bitter melon works as a treatment for diabetes," said David James, director of the diabetes and obesity program at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney.

"By isolating the compounds we believe to be therapeutic, we can investigate how they work together in our cells.")

Various cautions are indicated. The seeds contains vicine and therefore can trigger symptoms of favism in susceptible individuals. In addition, the red arils of the seeds are reported to be toxic to children, and the fruit is contraindicated during pregnancy.

Names in other languages
Bitter melons being fried in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.Austronesian languages
Chavacano: amargozo
Ilocano: paria
Ibanag: apape`
Indonesian: pare
Malay and Indonesian: peria, pare, or parai
Tagalog: ampalaya
Bikol: marigoso
Dravidian languages

Kannada: hāgala kāyi
Malayalam: kaipakka, pavakkya
Tamil: பாகற்காய் pākaṛkāi, பாகற்காய் pavakka
Telugu: కాకర kākara
Tulu: kānchaal
Indic languages

Assamese: kerela
Bengali: করল্লা kôrolla
Bishnupriya Manipuri: কারল karol
Gujarati: કારેલું kāreluṃ
Hindi: करेला karelā
Konkani: kārate
Marathi: कारले kārle
Nepali: tito karela
Oriya: kalara
Punjabi: ਕਰੇਲਾ karelā
Sinhalese: karawila
Trinidad Hindi: karailī
Urdu کریلا karelā
Japonic languages

Japanese: nigauri (苦瓜, nigauri?), tsurureishi (蔓茘枝, tsurureishi?), usually gōya (ゴーヤ, gōya?)
Okinawan: gōyā
Sino-Tibetan languages

Mandarin: 苦瓜 (kǔ guā)
Taiwanese (Min-nan): khó͘-koe (苦瓜)
Burmese: kyethinkhathee
Other Indo-European languages

Danish: bitteragurk
Dutch: sopropo
French: margose
German: Balsambirne
Persian: کمبوزه komboze
Portuguese: melão-de-são-caetano
Spanish: carela or cundeamor
Other languages

Arabic: حَنضل hanzal
Haitian Creole: asosi
Jamaica: cerasee
Korean: 여주 yôju
Thai: มะระจีน marajin or มะระ mara
Trinidad and Tobago: caraili.
Turkish: kudret narı
Vietnamese: khổ qua (southern dialect), mướp đắng (northern dialect)
Yoruba: ejirin

Source : From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia