Bitter melon or Momordica charantia,Bitter gourd,bitter apple,wild cucumber,bitter cucumber,balsam pear,karela.

Momordica charantia and Its Fame.

Bitter melon or Momordica charantia,Bitter gourd,bitter apple,wild cucumber,bitter cucumber,Bitter melon Bitter Malon Extract.Momordica charantia.Charantin,Charantins,Charantin A photo picture image Vicine, charantin, and polypeptide-P in both animals and humans increase glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue, and improve glucose tolerance. Studies with hepatic enzymes in mice revealed reduction in glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity, and increased glucose oxidation by G6PDH pathway. Bitter melon displays cytotoxic activity against leukemic cells in vitro (guanylate cyclase inhibitor). The MAP30 extract has a cytostatic effect on MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells xenografted into mice. MAP30 also demonstrates dose-dependent inhibition of HIV-1 integrase leading to poor viral DNA integration, thus inhibiting T lymphocyte and monocytes.
Bitter melon is a vegetable, eaten in certain countries such as India and Asia. It is thought to have direct hypoglycemic activity, but this may depend on having viable beta cell function in the pancreas. There may be some other activity such as increased tissue glucose uptake, glycogen synthesis, and decreased blood glucose production. Bitter melon may produce gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort, severe reactions like hypoglycemic coma, and unusual effects such as "favism" characterized by headache, fever, abdominal pain, and coma. Like fenugreek, there is a concern for spontaneous abortion in pregnant women. If combined with secretagogues, additive hypoglycemia may occur. Research has been conducted in type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but again the quality is not optimal.
Bitter Melon was traditionally used for a dazzling array of conditions by people in tropical regions. Numerous infections, cancer, leukemia, and diabetes are among the most common conditions it was believed to improve.
Bitter Melon is reported to help in the treatment of diabetes and psoriasis. It has also been thought that Bitter Melon may help in the treatment of HIV, but the evidence thus far is too weak to even consider. The ripe fruit of Bitter Melon has been suggested to exhibit some remarkable anti-cancer effects, but there is absolutely no evidence that it can treat cancer.
Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia) contains several components with confirmed anti-diabetic properties. Charantin is a hypoglycemic agent composed of mixed steroids that has insulin-like properties similar to oral hypoglycemic drugs. Oral administration of bitter melon extracts have shown good results in clinical trials with Type II diabetes patients.
However, preliminary studies do appear to confirm that Bitter Melon may improve blood sugar control in people with adult-onset (type 2) diabetes. If you have type 2 diabetes, you might consider adding Bitter Melon to your diet, but only under a doctor's supervision. The blood lowering action of the fresh juice of the unripe Bitter Melon has been confirmed in scientific studies in animals and humans.
At least three different groups of constituents in Bitter Melon have been reported to have hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) or other actions of potential benefit in diabetes mellitus. These include a mixture of steroidal saponins known as charantin, insulin-like peptides, and alkaloids.
It is still unclear which of these is most effective or if all three work together. Nonetheless, Bitter Melon preparations have been shown to significantly improve glucose tolerance without increasing blood insulin levels, and to improve fasting blood glucose levels. Blood and urine sugar levels and post-prandial (after eating) blood glucose levels also fell. An as yet unidentified constituent in Bitter Melon also seems to inhibit the enzyme guanylate cyclase, which may benefit people with psoriasis.