Lemon Lime And Bitters

General Description

The bitter melon or bitter gourd is the bitterest of all vegetables known to humankind, but it is also the most effective medicine. Though bitter, its fruit is eaten as a vegetable and is used to make delicious dishes to more particularly in India. In India, the bitter gourd is known as Karela. Its biological name is Momordica charantia.

Morphologically the bitter melon is an herbaceous vine which bears tendrils and it slides along the media. The leaves are simple and alternate, and flowers are yellow. Male and female flowers grow on separate plants. The fruit of the plant, which is known as bitter melon has an oblong shape with a warty exterior and is dark green.

Bitter melon possesses various chemicals such as charantin, peptides resembling insulin and several alkaloids. Due to these constituents, bitter melon is widely used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Properties

Bitter melon is a valuable vegetable. It is useful in most metabolic and physiological processes of the human body. It has the following properties: -

(I) Bitter melon is composed of various chemicals that have a hypoglycemic activity, ie they reduce the amount of sugar in the blood.

(Ii) Bitter melon stimulates appetite.

(Iii) Bitter melon helps in the digestion process together. This is why it is used to treat digestive problems.

(Iv) Bitter melon has emetic and purgative properties anthelmentic. It is also anti-flatulent.

(V) Bitter melon is used in the dissolution of body fat. He is known for its anti-lipolytic.

(Vi) Bitter melon possesses all the essential vitamins in good amounts, such as vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin C and minerals such as iron.

(Vii) Bitter melon is anti-inflammatory and astringent. It has a specific action on the movement of the intestines.

Uses

(I) anorexia

Bitter melon is an appetite stimulant. This is why it is used in the treatment of anorexia, a disorder in which a person is unable to eat the necessary amount of food.

(Ii) impurities from the blood

Bitter melon is used as a blood purifier due to its bitter tonic properties. It can heal boils and other blood related problems that appear on the skin. For the treatment, a cup of bitter melon juice should be taken each day in the morning with a teaspoon of lemon juice from citrus.

(Iii) Diabetes mellitus

Much has been written recently about the very beneficial aspects of bitter melon in the treatment of diabetes. As mentioned above, bitter melon has a host of bitter chemicals in which which are hypoglycemic action. It also has at least one substance which resembles the insulin secreted by the glands of the human pancreas. Thus, the bitter melon is extremely effective in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Doctors worldwide have prescribed either bitter melon juice in the morning or to include it in another way in the daily diet. Regular use of bitter melon over a period of time can reduce the level of blood sugar down.

(Iv) diarrhea

For diarrhea, the juice of a bitter lemon is mixed with the juice of spring onions, two teaspoons of two quantities. It then added the juice of a lemon. This juice is given to the patient twice a day. This remedy is also effective in curing the diarrhea that is caused due to cholera.

(V) Hangovers

The juice of bitter melon is excellent remedy for hangovers. It is also very beneficial in preventing liver damage o.