What Is Bitter Melon Fruit?
Bitter Melon Fruit (Momordica charantia) is largely grown for edible fruit, and is among the most bitter of all vegetables. It is a tropical vine of the Cucurbitaceae family, and is a relative of watermelon, squash and cucumber. Where this species originates is not known, other than it being native to the tropics. It is widely grown in Africa, China, South and Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. Bitter Melon Fruit Extract The extract from the bitter melon fruit provides therapeutic properties. There have been at least 32 active constituents that have been identified. Some of these include lycopene, citrulline and GABA. It is also found to be rich in calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin C and the B vitamins 1, 2 and 3. Bitter Melon Benefits Bitter melon has been recommended as one of the best herbal medicines for managing diabetes. Charantin, a compound found in bitter melon, has been found to be more effective than oral prescription medications in reducing blood sugar. In the United States,
