Bitter Melon Extract Supplements & Health Benefits – Diabetes Supplement
Suffering from diabetes can be a major challenge. Living with diabetes means you need to monitor your sugars on a constant basis and even inject yourself with insulin multiple times a day. There’s good news, though: our bitter melon supplements, which have been used in the past in holistic and traditional medicine disciplines to treat diabetes, are available today. Not only that, but modern medical research is finally catching up to good old-fashioned folk medicine in revealing that bitter melon has a proven record for not just working but working well!
Can Bitter Melon Cure Diabetes?
Before we get started, we do need to make one thing clear: there’s no literal “cure” for diabetes, as it’s the type of health condition that can’t be eliminated entirely. That being said, it’s very possible for diabetes symptoms to disappear even though you still have the illness. It’s called remission, and in this context, it means your blood sugar levels are currently those of someone without diabetes.
Where does bitter melon come into this equation? Well, there are active, all-natural components of bitter melon that effectively act much in the same way insulin does, which is necessary to move glucose out of your bloodstream and into your cells. This can and does play a significant role in diabetes remission. So is bitter melon a cure? No, because that just isn’t possible. But our bitter melon extract supplements will help you get closer than ever to that remission goal, and that’s pretty darn good in and of itself!
Other Uses of Bitter Melon
In addition to being able to mimic the action of insulin, bitter melon has a few other uses as well. This gourd is used in South and East Asian cuisine to provide flavor, especially — yes, you guessed it — bitter notes to dozens of meals. It’s also been used in traditional medicines for untold generations. The plant itself, which the bitter melon gourds grow on, originates from India but has since spread to China, Africa, and even all the way to the Caribbean.
There are several different varieties of bitter melon but they all share the same sharp flavor to different degrees. The fruit is used in stir-fry recipes, soups, teas, and even as a bittering agent in some Asian beers. The leaves and young shoots of the plant itself can also be added to salads as greens but it’s much more common to see the fruit itself used in recipes. It’s most popular in India, and there are even some special South Indian dishes that are medicinal meals prepared specifically to treat diabetes, such as the side dish known as pachadi.
Bitter Melon Health Benefits
Bitter melon is much more than just a common ingredient in Asian cuisine, of course. Traditional medicine practitioners from around the globe have used bitter melon to not just treat diabetes but a number of other ailments too. Here are just a few of the health problems that bitter melon has a reputation for treating when used in holistic medicine.
Gastrointestinal Issues
Bitter melon has been used to remedy a number of gastrointestinal issues. It’s said to be an effective laxative, that it can help tone the stomach to keep it healthier. It can also be used as an emetic to help purge stomach contents, when cases or conditions call for it.
Respiratory Issues
When it comes to providing better respiratory health, bitter gourd is said to do an excellent job of calming coughs and other types of respiratory diseases. Whether the bitter taste has anything to do with this is anyone’s guess, however!
Anti-Cancer Activity
Believe it or not, there is some very promising research that has revealed bitter melon supplements may have a positive impact on some types of cancer. Specifically, one study found that certain proteins in bitter melon helped reduce the severity of prostate cancer in several patients. Research into other types of cancers, such as pancreatic and liver cancer, has also shown the potential of bitter melon as a treatment.
HIV Treatment
Another surprising but welcome bit of news is that bitter melon has shown some promise as an HIV treatment as well. One study found that bitter melon has demonstrated a capability for acting against all stages of the life cycle of the AIDS virus.
Miscellaneous Medical Uses
In addition to its uses in treating diabetes, there are even more traditional medicine approaches for bitter melon. It’s been used as a fever reducer, to help with menstruation pain, and has even shown some promise in treating certain types of viral infections above and beyond that of HIV.
How Much Bitter Melon Should I Have Each Day?
As a supplement, bitter melon extract dosages can differ depending on the product and supplier. That being said, bitter melon dosing for treating diabetes is typically between 50 to 100 mL per day. Additionally, around 5 grams of dried bitter melon fruit, eaten 3 times a day, is also a typical dose.
There are typically few adverse reactions and side effects associated with bitter melon. The most common are stomach upset, abdominal pain, and diarrhea; some people have reported the occasional headache. The only true warning for bitter melon is that it’s not recommended if you’re pregnant, as it has been linked to complications in the past.
The Sweet Truth About a Bitter Fruit
Whether you’re evening out the flavor profiles of Asian cuisine, you’re using it to treat your diabetes, or taking it to improve any other health issues you may be dealing with, bitter melon is a crucial part of just about everyone’s nutritional health. It might not have the sweetest flavor, but this bitter fruit can bring you some seriously sweet health benefits when you need them the most!
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