Bitter gourd (melon) is perhaps the secret vegetable of the Okinawa islander’s longevity! Although the bitterness of Bitter melon might turn some people away, it can really sweeten your health because of its disease preventing and health promoting phyto chemical compounds.
Botanically it belongs to the family of Cucurbitaceous, of the genus: Momordica and is a member of the same family of squash, watermelon, cantaloupes, cucumber etc. Scientific name: Momordica charantia. Some of the related varieties are balsam pear, cundeamor, la-kwa etc.
 Bitter melon is the immature pod vegetable, popular in many Asian countries. This widely grown as edible pod is, in fact, among the most bitter of all culinary vegetables.

Bitter melon is temperate /tropical vegetable probably originated in South-East Asia. Like other members of the cucurbitaceae family, this plant is a fast-growing, trailing or climbing vine with thin stems and tendrils and requires trellis to support the climbing vine.

The pods are characterized by smooth lengthwise ridges and uneven pebbly surface. Depending upon the cultivar type, immature pods are light to dark green in colour and have oblong or oval shapes with pointed tip at the blossom end. Internally, the flesh is white with rough edged seeds, somewhat similar to ridge gourd seeds. As the fruits begin to mature, they gradually turn yellow or orange.

Health benefits

Very low in calories provides only 17 Cal per 100g. The pods are rich in phytonutrients like dietary fibre, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants.

Bitter melon notably contains phyto-nutrient, polypeptide-P; a plant insulin known to lower blood sugar levels. In addition it also contain hypoglycaemic agent called charantin. Charantin increases glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in the cells of liver, muscle and adipose tissue. Together, these compounds are thought to be responsible for reduction of blood sugar levels in the treatment of type-2 diabetes.

Fresh pods are an excellent source of folates; contains about 72 mcg/100g (Provides 18% of RDA).  Folate helps reduce incidence of neural tube defects in pregnant mothers when taken during early pregnancy.

Fresh bitter melon is an excellent source of vitamin-C (100g of raw pod provides about 140% of RDI). Vitamin-C, one of the powerful natural antioxidant, helps body scavenge deleterious free radicals one of the reasons for cancers development.

It is an excellent source of health benefiting flavonoids such as beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthins. It also contains good amount of vitamin A. Together, these compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging, cancers and various disease processes.

Bitter melon stimulates easy digestion and peristalsis of food through the bowel until it is excreted from the body. Thus, helps in relieving indigestion and constipation problems.

The vegetable is also good source of Niacin (vitamin B-3), Pantothenic acid (vit.B-5), Pyridoxine (vit.B-6) and minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium, manganese and magnesium.

Early laboratory tests suggest that compounds in bitter melon might be effective for treating HIV infection.

Diabetes Treatment: Bitter melon is one of the most potent fruits for managing diabetes mellitus for a few reasons. There are significant levels of charntin, peptides that resemble insulin, and alkaloids within the fleshy fruit of bitter melon. All of these components actively affect the levels of blood sugar, namely in reducing it. It also helps to prevent unpredictable spikes and drops in insulin levels by regulating the metabolism and use of sugar that the body has consumed in food.  As a powerful hypoglycaemic agent, bitter melon should not be used in conjunction with other medicines that lower blood sugar, because it can actually cause a dangerous lack of blood sugar in the body!

Haemorrhoid Relief: A number of studies have shown that the anti-inflammatory qualities present in bitter melon make it a very good salve for the uncomfortable condition of piles, also known as haemorrhoids. When you create a paste from the root of the bitter melon plant, you can apply it topically to reduce the inflammation and relieve pain and bleeding. If you drink bitter melon juice, you can also receive similar benefits, if you can handle the taste!

Immune System Health: Bitter melon is a source of many different antioxidants that make it a powerful defence mechanism against illness in the body. Antioxidants scavenge the body for free radicals, dangerous compounds released during cell metabolism that can cause any number of different illnesses. By adding bitter melon to your diet, you can greatly improve your chances of defending against very serious diseases, including heart attack, kidney damage, and liver failure; three of the many places where free radicals like to cause health issues.

Cancer Prevention: The antioxidants present in bitter melon may help to seek out and destroy free radicals that can cause diseases (including numerous forms of cancer), but that is not the only benefit the fruit has in terms of cancer. Bitter melon has been widely studied as an anti-tumour and anti-carcinogenic agent all by itself, along with its natural boost to antioxidant numbers in the body. Primarily, studies have shown positive correlations between eating bitter melon and the prevention or reduction in tumour growth for cervical, prostate, and breast cancer patients. Some of this is due to the fruit’s ability to induce apoptosis (cell death) in cancerous cells. However, more studies are being done all the time to find out more about the powerful anti-cancer properties that this unassuming fruit seems to possess, and which other types of cancer patients it could benefit.

Respiratory Conditions: There have been a number of studies that showed bitter melon as a means of getting relief from respiratory conditions like asthma, bronchitis, and hay fever (rhinitis). It’s anti-histamine, suppressant, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and antiviral properties make it an ideal booster for respiratory health. It is recommended to eat some bitter melon before going to bed, so the soothing effects occur while you’re sleeping!

Fungal Infections: The antifungal and antibacterial qualities of bitter melon make it ideal for fighting off various fungal infections, and also helping to rid the bloodstream of those toxins before they can do any more damage. Specifically, in terms of infections and skin health, bitter melon has been useful in treating ringworm and psoriasis. Furthermore, its anti-inflammatory qualities reduce the irritating itching associated with such skin conditions and infections. The juice extracted from the leaves can be the best salve or cure for these conditions, topically applied to the affected areas.

A Few Words of Caution: The chemicals in bitter melons are powerful health tools, but should be respected as well. Pregnant women should not consume bitter melon, because it can stimulate excess menstrual bleeding, and more research must still be done on consuming bitter melon while breast-feeding, so for now, it is best to avoid it. Also, as mentioned earlier, it acts very strongly to reduce blood sugar levels, which can become dangerous, particularly in the time leading up to and after surgical procedures.