New Delhi:
World Diabetes Day 2018, this day is observed each year to bring about a global awareness on diabetes mellitus. Diabetes is a disease that hugely impairs the process of blood sugar in a person. Like any other disease, diabetes affects people of all age. According to WHO, the prevalence of diabetes is steadily increasing in the past 3 decades and is growing most rapidly in low- and middle-income countries. Lack of awareness about diabetes management and its complications, delayed diagnosis, can make the condition worse and even lead to untimely death.
On World Diabetes Day, shield yourself from this deadly disease with a simple fruit/vegetable found in every Indian kitchen. Bitter melon or bitter gourd has played a huge medicinal role in Ayurveda. Since time immemorial, this bitter fruit has been used to treat diseases such as high blood pressure, skin infections, painful menstruation, kidney stones, colic, malaria, glaucoma, high cholesterol, diarrhea, stomach cramps, hemorrhoids, and fever.
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Bitter melon contains alkaloids, glycoside, peptides, acids, cucurbitins, charantin, cucurbitacins, momordine, and proteins that can help kill diabetes. And more scientific findings are also pointing out that pointing out that bitter mean may contain hypoglycaemic which acts as an anticancer effect. Its juice also contains anti-diabetic properties. One of them is charantin, which is famous for its blood glucose-lowering effect. Bitter gourd contains an insulin-like compound called Polypeptide-p or p-insulin which has been shown to control diabetes naturally. These substances either work individually or together to help reduce blood sugar levels.
Another study found that bitter melon extract triggers a chain of events on a cellular level that stops breast cancer cells from multiplying and also kills them.
Another medical research on this bitter fruit found showed a ray of hope for treating Type 2 diabetes with bitter melon.
Bitter melon contains certain chemical compounds that activate AMPK which encourages the movement of glucose transporters to the surface of cells. One of the lead researchers conducting the study said, “More transporters on cells’ surfaces increase the uptake of glucose from circulation in the blood into tissues of the body, such as muscle, thus lowering blood sugar levels.”
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Here’s how to consume the fruit to avail its benefits to the fullest: bitter melon can be eaten as a fruit, made into a juice, or added up in smaller amounts to your smoothies.
