Bitter Melon Scientific Name
Momordica charantia
Bitter Melon Other Names
French: Melon amer
German: Bittere melone
Hindi: Karela
What is Bitter Melon?
Bitter Melon is a vegetable, packed with nutrients and vitamins (vitamin A and vitamin C) which help protect the body against certain diseases. Bitter Melon is widely used in Ayurveda as it is good for the skin due to its blood purification activity which keeps the skin glowing naturally. Drinking Bitter Melon juice on an empty stomach provides protection against skin diseases and prevents cell damage due to its antioxidant property. It also helps enhance appetite and improve digestion. Regular consumption of Bitter Melon juice also helps manage the blood glucose levels by increasing insulin secretion.
Common forms of Bitter Melon
Leaf, Fruit, Juice, Powder, Capsule, Tablet
Bitter Melon is commonly used for:
- Minimizing hair loss
- Treating Piles
- Treating diabetes mellitus (Type 1 & Type 2)
- Treating liver disease
- Treating indigestion
- Treating kidney stone
- Managing HIV infection
- Treating skin disorders.
- Healing wounds
Bitter Melon Dosage
Churna: ¼-½ teaspoon twice a day.
Capsule: 1-2 capsules twice a day.
Tablet: 1-2 tablets twice a day.
Bitter Melon Side-effects and Warnings
Common side-effects: Abdominal pain and diarrhea (with excessive consumption of bitter melon juice), Headache, fever, and coma (with excessive ingestion of the seeds), worsening low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
Not so common side-effects: Not known.
Pregnant or Nursing Mothers: It may start menstrual bleeding and may cause abortion. Avoid using Bitter Melon if pregnant or nursing.
Children: Not known.
Warning:
Not known.