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"More than 100 studies have demonstrated bitter melon's ability to decrease the blood sugar, increase the uptake of glucose, and activate the pancreatic cells that manufacture insulin. The peptide it has acts like bovine insulin. So it has several effects: improved glucose tolerance without increasing insulin levels, stimulating the beta cells of the pancreas, suppressing the urge to eat sweets, and action similar to that of insulin. Unripe bitter melon is available at Asian markets, and the fresh juice is probably the best, per the traditional use in the studies." - Gabriel Cousens, There Is a Cure for Diabetes: The Tree of Life 21-Day+ Program (Get the book.)

"In China, India, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies, bitter melon is widely used for diabetics. It actually contains a number of compounds that have proven antidiabetic properties, including a compound known as charantin. According to the highly respected naturopath Dr. Michael Murray, charantin is more potent than the drug Tolbutamide, which has been used to lower blood sugar levels in diabetics. There are at least two other groups of constituents in bitter melon besides charantin—insulinlike peptides and alkaloids—that are reputed to have blood sugar-lowering effects." - Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why (Get the book.)

"Optional: bitter melon juice? to 4 ounces daily Level 4-—Failure to achieve targeted blood sugar levels; AjC above 9 percent. þFoundation supplements þGymnema sylvestre extract (24 percent gymnemic acid)?00 mg twice daily þBiotin? mg twice daily þPGX?(or other soluble source at equivalent dosage)?,000 mg before meals þGlucosidase inhibitor—use one of the following: þTouchi extract?00 mg three times daily with meals þMulberry extract—equivalent to 1,000 mg dried leaf three times daily þOptional: bitter melon juice?" - Michael T. Murray, Beat Diabetes Naturally: The Best Foods, Herbs, Supplements, and Lifestyle Strategies to Optimize Your Diabetes Care (Get the book.)

"Over a meal of stir-fried bitter melon, kelp, millet rice, and fennel tea, I had interviewed them about their longevity. The conversation started off predictably enough, with me asking questions of the what's-your-secret variety. They answered dutifully. Each of them had come from a life of hardship. As children, they nearly starved. During the war, they'd hidden in the mountains and lived on berries. Setzu remembers being caught by an American soldier while she was searching for food. The soldier told her to get into a line with other Okinawans. She thought she would be shot." - Dan Buettner, The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest (Get the book.) "She mostly eats vegetables from her garden—daikon, bitter melon, garlic, onion, peppers, tomatoes—and some fish and tofu. All day long she nurses a pot of hot, green tea. Before each meal she takes a moment to say hara hachi bu, and that keeps her from eating too much." "Hara hachi bu?" I repeated. "It's a Confucian-inspired adage," Craig chimed in. "All of the old folks say it before they eat. It means 'Eat until you are 80 percent full." - Dan Buettner, The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest (Get the book.) "She tends a vegetable garden daily and harvests three times annually—mostly garlic, bitter melon (goya), scallions, and turmeric. She reads the comics her grandchildren give her and loves watching baseball games on television. Late afternoon is her favorite time of the day, when neighbors stop by for a visit. As the conversation dwindled, we smiled nervously at each other. "Look at her face," Greg whispered. "That deep-skinned tan that comes from constant sun exposure. Did notice how Kamada's skin was the same? That probably means they've both had steady doses of vitamin D their whole lives." - Dan Buettner, The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest (Get the book.)

"Optional: bitter melon juice? to 4 ounces daily Level 3—Failure to achieve targeted blood sugar levels; A;C between 8 and 9 percent. þFoundation supplements þGymnema sylvestre extract (24 percent gymnemic acid)?00 mg twice daily þBiotin? mg twice daily þPGX?(or other soluble source at equivalent dosage)?,000 mg before meals þOptional: bitter melon juice? to 4 ounces daily Level 4-—Failure to achieve targeted blood sugar levels; AjC above 9 percent. þFoundation supplements þGymnema sylvestre extract (24 percent gymnemic acid)?00 mg twice daily þBiotin? mg twice daily þPGX?" - Michael T. Murray, Beat Diabetes Naturally: The Best Foods, Herbs, Supplements, and Lifestyle Strategies to Optimize Your Diabetes Care (Get the book.)

"DIABETES • A Fruity Way to Manage Diabetes (>^uite often around the world (but not very often in North America), people who have been diagnosed with diabetes—especially Type II, or adult onset, diabetes—turn to the unripened fruit of a bitter melon for help. Grown in many tropical lands, karela is commonly used in India, the West Indies and China to help diabetics improve their glucose tolerance." - Bottom Line Books, Uncommon Cures For Everyday Ailments (Get the book.)

"COCCINIA INDICA Coccinia indica seems to have a blood glucose lowering effect that operates on the same mechanism as bitter melon.185'186 GINGKO BILOBA Gingko biloba has membrane-stabilizing flavones and anthocyanides, which seem to protect against retinopathy.187 AMERICAN GINSENG A team of researchers at the University of Toronto medical facility at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto used American ginseng (Panax quin-quefolius) in the treatment of Type-2 diabetes." - Gabriel Cousens, There Is a Cure for Diabetes: The Tree of Life 21-Day+ Program (Get the book.)

"In addition to being eaten as a vegetable in Asia, unripe bitter melon has been used extensively in folk medicine as a remedy for diabetes. The blood-sugar-lowering action of the fresh juice or extract of the unripe fruit has been clearly established in modern scientific studies in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Bitter melon is composed of several compounds with confirmed blood-sugar-lowering properties. Charantin, extracted by alcohol, is a hypoglycemic agent composed of mixed steroids that is more potent than the oral hypoglycemic drug tolbutamide." - Michael T. Murray, Beat Diabetes Naturally: The Best Foods, Herbs, Supplements, and Lifestyle Strategies to Optimize Your Diabetes Care (Get the book.)

"It contains extracts of Astragalus (Root), Water Plaintain (Root), Crinum latifolium (Leaves), bitter melon (Fruit), Papaya (Leaves), and Soursop (Leaves). Apparently Vietnamese men and women taking Crinum latifolium leaves rarely suffer from ailments of the reproductive system. In the U.S., this product is sold by NutriCology.com. If red blotches appear on the penis, massage it with pure aloe vera gel, twice daily. Many prostate problems are due to trapped urinary deposits/crystals in the penis and disappear when removed by the gel." - Andreas Moritz, Cancer Is Not A Disease - It's A Survival Mechanism (Get the book.)

"There are at least two other groups of constituents in bitter melon besides charantin—insulinlike peptides and alkaloids—that are reputed to have blood sugar-lowering effects. It's not completely clear which of the three is most effective or if they all work together. Nonetheless, science has pretty much confirmed the blood sugar-lowering action of the fresh juice of the unripe bitter melon. Usually, the bitter-flavored unripe fruit is used as a vegetable. It can be cooked a number of different ways, including stir-fried, steamed, and curried." - Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why (Get the book.)

"Momordica charantia, or bitter melon, has been shown to have antiviral activity against both HSV 1 and 2 such that its effectiveness in vitro is not only greater than acyclovir, but it is also effective against acyclovir-resistant strains.38 Medicinal mushrooms are known for their antimicrobial activity against a number of microorganisms. Recent in vitro evidence suggests that fungal beta-glucans extracted from Pleurotus tuber-regium exerts its antiviral effect by binding to the virus, thereby preventing the infection of the host cells." - Tori Hudson, N.D., Women's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine: Alternative Therapies and Integrative Medicine for Total Health and Wellness (Get the book.)

"Bitter melon has been reported to lower fasting blood sugar.245 It may be helpful not as a substitute for standard diabetes medicines, but in addition to them. Careful blood sugar monitoring is necessary. Children and pregnant women should not take this herb, because it may be dangerous to them. Some children have died after eating the bright red seed coverings. A family friend told us that bitter melon could help reduce blood sugar. We went to our local health food store and bought a bottle, and it seems to work! My husband takes metformin and glyburide for diabetes." - Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D., Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy (Get the book.)

"In test tube studies, bitter melon has stopped the replication of HIV, which causes AIDS. bitter melon also stimulates the activity of disease-fighting immune cells. This effect suggests that bitter melon may help slow down the progress of AIDS and other diseases in humans. I recendy learned that in San Francisco, there is a bitter melon Club organized by AIDS patients who are convinced that this herb, among other therapies, is helping to keep their disease in check." - Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible: A Comprehensive Guide to Hundreds of NEW Natural Products that Will Help You Live Longer, Look Better, Stay Heathier, ... and Much More! (Get the book.)

"Because information about this fruit is not widely known in the West, ask your doctor or health practitioner to check with an expert in Asian medicine about bitter melon and its side effects when planning your treatment program for diabetes. • Aid from a Bay Leaf For diabetes patients who don't yet need daily shots of insulin, eating food that has been prepared with bay leaves can help boost the body's ability to use and control glucose in the blood. (When glucose or sugar levels in blood rise too high, symptoms worsen." - Bottom Line Books, Uncommon Cures For Everyday Ailments (Get the book.)

"Herbs may also be helpful, including extracts of hops, acacia bark, ginseng, green tea, fenugreek, cinnamon, gymnena sylvestre, bitter melon, and garlic. 4. Medications such as glucophage (metformin) or Actos are occasionally helpful as a bridge in balancing your blood sugar. Support Your Thyroid: Self-Care Plan The production of thyroid hormones requires iodine and omega-3 fatty acids; converting the inactive T4 to the active T3 requires selenium, the binding of T3 to the receptor on the nucleus, and switching it on requires vitamins A, D, and zinc." - Mark Hyman MD, The UltraMind Solution: Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First (Get the book.)

"Active constituents At least three different groups of constituents in bitter melon have been reported to have blood-sugar lowering actions of potential benefit in diabetes (page 152) mel-litus. 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. Some clinical trials have confirmed the benefit of bitter melon for people with diabetes." - Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D., The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health Conditions (Get the book.)

"Nonetheless, science has pretty much confirmed the blood sugar-lowering action of the fresh juice of the unripe bitter melon. Usually, the bitter-flavored unripe fruit is used as a vegetable. It can be cooked a number of different ways, including stir-fried, steamed, and curried. Some enthusiasts recommend it as part of a vegetable curry with eggplants and onions. Cooking mellows its bitter flavor, which is due largely to the quinine content. bitter melon is sold by many Asian grocery stores and is sometimes available frozen." - Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why (Get the book.)

"Its green fruit looks like an ugly cucumber. bitter melon is made of several compounds that have anti-diabetic properties, including charantin, which has been shown to be more powerful than the hypoglycemic drug tolbutamide, and an insulin-like polypeptide called polypeptide-P, which lowers blood sugar when injected into Type-l diabetics.52 In one study, it decreased the glucose tolerance by 73 percent when people were given 2 ounces of the juice.53 In another study there was a 17 percent reduction in glycosylated hemoglobin in six people." - Gabriel Cousens, There Is a Cure for Diabetes: The Tree of Life 21-Day+ Program (Get the book.)

"Effect of bitter melon (Momordica charantia Linn) on level and function of natural killer cells in cervical cancer patients with radiotherapy. J Med Assoc Thai. 2003 Jan;86(l):61-8. Raman A, Lau C. Anti-diabetic properties and phytochemistry of Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae). Phytomedicine 1996;2(4):349-362. Rathi SS, Grover JK, Vats V. The effect of Momordica charantia and Mucuna pruriens in experimental diabetes and their effect on key metabolic enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Phytother Res 2002;16(3):236-243. Schreiber CA, Wan L, Sun Y, et al." - Thomson Healthcare, Inc., PDR for Herbal Medicines, Fourth Edition (Get the book.)

"Bitter Melon [Momordica] Constituents of the ripe fruit and leaves of bitter melon inhibit guanylate cyclase, which is elevated in many cancer cells. The aqueous extract of bitter melon is found to block the growth of prostatic cancer in rats. The crude extract is preferentially cytotoxic for leukemic cells versus normal cells.52 It has also demonstrated antioxidant activity against free radicals and lipid peroxidation.53 Black Cohosh [Cimicifuga racemosa) Through its influence on the vasomotor centers and on the nerve ganglia, black cohosh has a beneficial influence on the heart." - Donald R. Yance, j r.,C.N., M.H., A.H.G., with Arlene Valentine, Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer: A Comprehensive Program for Prevention and Treatment (Get the book.)

"Like some other herbs mentioned earlier, bitter melon seems to have some action on the pancreas, as well as a component with insulinlike action. Researchers have coined the term plant insulin to describe bitter melon. The insulinlike molecule in it is almost identical to cow insulin, widely used by diabetics. bitter melon also contains potent detoxifiers that protect the pancreas from free-radical damage, which is widely thought to be a cause of Type I diabetes. Jambul fruit, native to India, now grows throughout the tropics. It's also called jamun, rose apple, or Java plum." - Robyn Landis, Herbal Defense (Get the book.)

"I recendy learned that in San Francisco, there is a bitter melon Club organized by AIDS patients who are convinced that this herb, among other therapies, is helping to keep their disease in check. bitter melon has also been shown to inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors in animals, and it also holds great promise as a cancer treatment. Fresh bitter melon is available from Asian grocery stores and is also sold in extract and capsules. Picorhiza Kurroa This herb is the traditional treatment for liver ailments and is also prescribed to support liver function." - Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible: A Comprehensive Guide to Hundreds of NEW Natural Products that Will Help You Live Longer, Look Better, Stay Heathier, ... and Much More! (Get the book.)

"Those 50% FATS Fatty fruits, nuts, coconuts, seeds To Overcome Candida center at 50:0:50 (Chlorophyll : Sugars : Fat) Avocado (fatty fruit, excellent) Bell Pepper (not green; green peppers are harsh and unripe) bitter melon Breadfruit (raw) Cranberry Cucumber (very healing) Grapefruit Lemon (may irritate the Candida sufferer) Lime (may irritate the Candida sufferer) Noni Okra (very healing) Olives (not from a can, call Nature's First Law for the best) Pumpkin Sour apples Squash Tomatillo Tomato Zucchini with Candida must get their naked body into the Sun as much as they can." - David Wolfe, The Sunfood Diet Success System (Get the book.)

"Momordica Chirantia Also known as "bitter melon," this herb has traditionally been used by Ayurvedic healers to treat Type II, or adult-onset, diabetes. Numerous studies have shown that it can normalize elevated blood sugar levels. Indian researchers claim that it may boost the production or enhance the activity of insulin, the key hormone involved in the breakdown of sugar. There is exciting new news about bitter melon as a potential treatment for AIDS and cancer. In test tube studies, bitter melon has stopped the replication of HIV, which causes AIDS." - Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible: A Comprehensive Guide to Hundreds of NEW Natural Products that Will Help You Live Longer, Look Better, Stay Heathier, ... and Much More! (Get the book.)

"A green cucumber-shaped fruit covered with gourd-like bumps, bitter melon looks like an ugly cucumber. In addition to the unripe fruit being eaten as a vegetable, bitter melon has been used extensively in folk medicine as a remedy for diabetes. The blood sugar-lowering action of the fresh juice or extract of the unripe fruit has been clearly established in human clinical trials as well as experimental models.92,93 Bitter melon is composed of several compounds with confirmed anti-diabetic properties." - Michael T. Murray, ND, Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 2 (Get the book.)

"The hypoglycemic effect is more pronounced in the fruit of bitter melon where these chemicals are found in greater abundance. clinical trials Diabetes mellitus The effect of Momordica charantia extracts on fasting and postprandial serum glucose levels were investigated in 100 cases of moderate non-insulin dependent diabetic subjects. Drinking of the aqueous homogenized suspension of the vegetable pulp led to significant reduction (p<0.001) of both fasting and postprandial serum glucose levels. This hypoglycemic action was observed in 86 cases." - Thomson Healthcare, Inc., PDR for Herbal Medicines, Fourth Edition (Get the book.)

"I recendy learned that in San Francisco, there is a bitter melon Club organized by AIDS patients who are convinced that this herb, among other therapies, is helping to keep their disease in check. bitter melon has also been shown to inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors in animals, and it also holds great promise as a cancer treatment. Fresh bitter melon is available from Asian grocery stores and is also sold in extract and capsules. Picorhiza Kurroa This herb is the traditional treatment for liver ailments and is also prescribed to support liver function." - Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible: A Comprehensive Guide to Hundreds of NEW Natural Products that Will Help You Live Longer, Look Better, Stay Heathier, ... and Much More! (Get the book.)

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