Bitter Melon Health Benefits: Can Bitter Melon Help Treat Diabetes?

Thinking of taking bitter melon to help treat diabetes? Read this first.

In tropical areas from China, Asia, and Africa to the Caribbean and South America, bitter melon is both a food and a medicine. Unripe, its fruit resembles a warty, green cucumber that gradually turns orange with bright red edible seeds as it matures. Despite an exceedingly bitter taste, the fruits and sometimes the leaves are widely used in a variety of ethnic dishes. Bitter melon is a major constituent of the Okinawan diet and, some say, is key to the renowned longevity of the Japanese island people. Modern research has largely focused on its potential for treating diabetes.

How Bitter Melon Works

Although the human evidence is not yet strong, laboratory studies show that bitter melon has a hypoglycemic (blood glucose-lowering) action, and helps to control insulin levels. The constituents thought to be responsible for this action are charantin, plus alkaloids and peptides that mimic insulin. They may also trigger the production of a protein that encourages glucose uptake in the body.

In addition, charantin appears to stimulate the growth of pancreatic beta cells, which produce insulin. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys beta cells; in other types of diabetes the functioning of beta cells is impaired.

Laboratory studies support other traditional uses of bitter melon, suggesting that different constituents have antiviral and antibacterial properties that might help to treat disorders including salmonella and E. coli infections, herpes and HIV viruses, malaria, and parasitic worms. An extract of bitter melon proteins is claimed to inhibit prostate tumor growth and a number of in vitro studies suggest it may have potential for combating other cancers and leukemia.

How to Use Bitter Melon

Traditionally bitter melon is taken as a fresh juice, decoction, or tincture. Concentrated fruit, seed, and whole herb extracts are also available as tablets, capsules, or powders. Follow label instructions or take as professionally prescribed.

Safety First

Take care if taking bitter melon with blood glucose–lowering medications as it can enhance their effect. It has a weak uterine stimulant activity so must not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Bitter melon should not be taken by people with glucose-6- phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) deficiency (a genetic condition most common in people from the Mediterranean and Middle East) due to a risk of hemolytic anemia.

Where to Find Bitter Melon

The fresh fruit is available in some supermarkets and Asian stores. Bitter melon supplements are available in health food stores or from a qualified herbalist.

Get More Natural Remedies Doctors Approve!

The book Doctors’ Favorite Natural Remedies offers effective ways to treat more than 85 health conditions and evaluates the most commonly used alternative therapies and supplements. Learn more and buy Doctors’ Favorite Natural Remedies here.

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Tom and Jerry 040 The Little Orphan 1949

Watch Tom and Jerry funny fight in this video...

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My Father Was Dying in the Hospital. Then Another Patient Changed Everything.

When it came time to take my dad off of life support, I felt completely helpless. Then a perfect stranger made a heartbreaking situation slightly more bearable.

I got a call from my sister that my dad had taken a turn for the worse, and I needed to get home right away. I wasn’t ready for that. When I got to the hospital, he had already slipped into a coma. I had missed all the dramatic goodbyes that were said because everyone knew he was not gonna make it. So that was upsetting.

He was in a coma for a while. It was that weird place where everybody is connected by this thing and it’s killing us. After two weeks, I brought up the idea that maybe we should pull the plug. I don’t know where that saying comes from, ’cause nobody pulls a plug. Everybody stays plugged in.

But it was time. We all knew. I thought it would happen like on Days of Our Lives. I thought you would pull the plug, and there’d be a lot of crying for ten to 15 minutes, and then the person would pass, and you would be sad, but it would be over.

Instead, we waited for four, then five, hours. And you wanted to scream, ’cause it’s crazy. Right in the middle of this, they wheel another woman into our room, a woman who had just had heart surgery. I remember thinking, That’s not a good idea. My dad is dying. Why are you bringing in a woman who’s had heart surgery? That doesn’t make any sense. It’s bad management.

The woman was on a lot of medication and saying crazy things. She’s 80 and naked and kicking her covers off. I’m on this side of the room, with a curtain that is not very soundproof, sitting by my dad, saying, “I love you, Dad. I’m really going to miss you.”

From the other side, we hear, “Cinnamon.”

“You were such a great dad to me.”

“Cinnamon.”

“Dad, you were wonderful—”

“Cinnamon.”

Finally, you can’t help laughing, because your life is exploding in front of your eyes, and it’s that moment where you’re crying and laughing. Then my husband says, “Thirty ccs of cinnamon, stat!” It killed me, and we all stopped crying for a moment and laughed really hard.

Four hours later, the nurse says, “It’s probably time. His heart rate is lowering.” We are holding his hand, and she says, “Maybe if you tell him it’s OK to go, he’ll go.”

So we all say, “Daddy, it’s OK” and “We love you,” and my mom says, “John, you were such a great dad, and I love you, and it’s OK, I’ll take care of the girls.” And across the room from the old lady in the bed, we hear, “Don’t go, John.”

Yeah.

And I remember thinking, That’s what I feel. That was what was inside me. I think I gave that woman my words: “Don’t go, John. Don’t go.”

But he did. I had my hand on his chest and his heart stopped.

Later, we found out Cinnamon Lady—that’s what I call her, Cinnamon Lady—didn’t have anyone in her life named John. I thought, Wow, that’s crazy. But we also learned she was a baker. So we understood the cinnamon part.

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How Much Invisible Fat Is Hiding in Your Favourite Food Items?

Do you pay attention towards every calorie and crumb that you eat in the day but let the fat content go unnoticed? If yes it’s time to understand all about fat content and take it into consideration too. Not to forget, fats are as important as all the other nutrients that you consume every day.

Don't Miss This

Greasy burgers, French fries and pizza, are all well known for their fat content and hence it’s no surprise when someone tells you that these are loaded with fat. But what you may not know is that many things that you perceive as low fat, may actually be just the opposite. These even include some vegetables and fish. One thing that we need to keep in mind, is that fat is an important component of our diet and not every fat is bad. What matters is that we closely evaluate the amount of fat that we consume day in and day out as well as the type of fat.

How much fat should you be consuming?

It is important to closely monitor the amount of fat grams that you have been consuming daily and to keep a tab on the right amounts of healthy fats. The daily recommendation of fat is no more than 20-30% of the daily diet. If you are consuming a 2000kcal diet, then you should probably be eating less than 65 gm of fat each day. However, it is easy to consume more than the required amounts of fats on a daily basis, especially in the case of invisible fats.

Invisible fats in food we all love eating

While we might be aware of the fat content of most of the foods but there are a bunch of other foods that tend to contain loads of hidden fats.

1. Movie theater popcorn (because of the way it’s processed, addition of butter, cheese and sugar)

2. Packaged meals with added sauces, butter, oil and salt
 
3. Chicken and other poultry if consumed with the skin

4. Packaged salad dressings (usually very high in fat content)

5. Highly marbled meats like red meat, lamb and pork (The white marbling is a thick layer of fat, easily seen in a slice of bacon)

However, it is important to realize that packaged snack foods and meals are the biggest sources of hidden fats. These foods contain high levels of trans fats which are listed as partially hydrogenated oil or vegetable shortenings (read the ingredients’ label carefully), which are responsible for the longer shelf life of these foods. Trans fats can act like demons as they have been linked to various health problems like high cholesterol and heart diseases. Hence, the consumption of these fats need to be restricted as much as possible.

Given the fat content of these commonly eaten food items, if you are not careful you might easily exceed the daily limits. Hence it’s important to include good fats i.e unsaturated fats in your diet, limit saturated and eliminate trans fats. Take care of your health and your heart and waistline will say a big thank you to you some day.

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Cantaloupe Ice Pops Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups cubed cantaloupe
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
12 plastic cups or Popsicle molds (3 ounces each)
12 Popsicle sticks

Directions:

In a blender or food processor, combine the first five ingredients; cover and process until smooth. Pour 1/4 cup into each cup or mold; insert Popsicle sticks. Freeze until firm. Yield: 1 dozen.

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6 Phrases Guaranteed to Make Any Argument Worse

You may think you're helping—but you're just screwing things up more.

Don't tell someone how to feel

It may sound to you like you’re acknowledging the other person’s feelings, but by adding a “should” or “shouldn’t” you are condemning and judging them just as much. Psychologists call this subtractive empathy—a response that diminishes and distorts what the other person has just said, often making them feel worse. Instead of judging a feeling, try giving it a concrete name by saying something like, “You sound pretty hurt about [problem]. It doesn’t seem fair.” That’s what psychologists call additive empathy—it identifies a feeling, then adds a new layer of understanding that can lead to a potential solution. Think you have a solution? Be careful how you phrase it.

This is your brain on an argument

When you argue, you are at your most animal. Your brain literally enters fight-or-flight mode, your heart-rate escalates, and logic and reasoning physically shut down. It's little wonder you usually say a lot of bonehead things you end up regretting in the morning. Don't worry: We are all guilty of the same stupidity, and sometimes the key to a painless argument is what you don't say. For starters, here are six research-backed phrases proven to make any bad argument worse. Also: Here are wise quotes that can stop any argument in its tracks.

Don't mention getting calm

According to parenting experts and hostage negotiators alike, the biggest mistake most people make in an argument is denying the other person’s feelings. Think for a moment if the words “calm down” have ever actually made you calmer. More than likely, they’ve only ever made you feel more annoyed—Why does this person think I’m overreacting? He doesn’t understand me at all! Telling a person to calm down assigns them a negative emotion (be it anger, anxiety, stubbornness, etc.) while denying their actual feelings. This seeming lack of empathy can be detrimental to reaching a mutual understanding, which is a far more important outcome than “winning” an argument. So instead of telling your companion how to feel, seek first to understand how they feel. Step one: listen. Here's what good listeners do in daily conversations.

Don't try to quiet their emotions

Always let the other person vent, no matter how long or loud that venting may be. “If the emotional level is high, your first task is to take some of the emotion out,” says Linda Hill, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. “Hold back and let them say their piece. You don’t have to agree with it, but listen.” Often times, just talking honestly about a problem is enough to make a person feel better about it (hence, therapy). And as an argument participant, know that every word your companion says is a step toward mutual understanding. Just be careful how you approach it. Here's what happy couples do when they fight.

Don't fake-empathize

This stock phrase almost always comes across wrong; you may be trying to say, “your emotions are valid,” but the other person will more likely hear, “I get it—so stop talking.” Instead of merely saying you understand someone’s feelings, show them by doing what FBI negotiators do: paraphrase. “The idea is to really listen to what the other side is saying and feed it back to them,” says FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss. “It’s kind of a discovery process for both sides. First of all, you’re trying to discover what’s important to them, and secondly, you’re trying to help them hear what they’re saying to find out if what they are saying makes sense.” If everyone’s on the same page, you can start moving toward reconciliation. But the worst thing you can say next is…

Don't tell someone what to do

When the fight-or-flight response is triggered, power becomes deceptively crucial to us. Telling someone what to do takes away their power; if they listen to your advice, they may feel less smart or less autonomous, and they will resent you for that. What’s more, insisting that an answer depends solely on the other person changing their behavior removes personal responsibility from the equation, and that’s no way to make friends or learn from your mistakes. The superior phrase: “What would you like me to do?” This handy question leaves the other person with their autonomy, and proves you’re willing to meet them halfway. It also moves your brains away from fight mode, and closer to the land of logical compromise.

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