Bitter gourd is a functional vegetable with beneficial effects on health. Bitter gourd is a popular vegetable in some Asian countries, where the health benefits of the plant are well-known—particularly, its ability to lower blood glucose in diabetics. Her is an in depth look how it works to lower your blood sugar levels.
First let us have a look at its nutritional profile:
Nutritional Benefits
Bitter gourds are very low in calories but dense with precious nutrients. It is an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, and B3, C, magnesium, folate, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, and has high dietary fiber. It is rich in iron, contains twice the beta-carotene of broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach, and twice the potassium of a banana.
Bitter melon contains a unique phyto-constituent that has been confirmed to have a hypoglycemic effect called charantin. There is also another insulin-like compound known as polypeptide P which have been suggested as insulin replacement in some diabetic patients.
Bitter gourd contains plant insulin
Insulin is necessary to lower high blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar increases, pancreas react secreting insulin in your blood, Insulin helps to transport the sugar from the blood to the skeletal muscle and the fat tissue where it is used to produce energy. Insulin also stops the liver from producing sugar from glycogen storage's in your body.
In Type I diabetes, the pancreas does not produce or secrete enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels low. Bitter gourd has been shown to be effective in treating Type I diabetes in rats or mice by increasing pancreatic insulin secretion. Additionally, scientists found an insulin-like molecule in bitter gourd. Although bitter gourd may reduce the number of insulin injections required to manage Type 1 diabetes, it cannot replace insulin treatment completely or heal this form of the disease.
Bitter gourd reverses insulin resistance
In Type II diabetes, the liver, skeletal muscle, and fat tissues do not respond adequately to insulin—they are insulin resistant. Research studies show bitter guard helps to prevent or reverse insulin resistance. Bitter gourd can play a role in the prevention and treatment of Type II diabetes, People with insulin resistance or those with a high risk of developing Type II diabetes have a good chance to prevent and treat the disease without drugs by increasing their physical activity and including bitter gourd in their diet.
A humble warning
First let us have a look at its nutritional profile:
Nutritional Benefits
Bitter gourds are very low in calories but dense with precious nutrients. It is an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, and B3, C, magnesium, folate, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, and has high dietary fiber. It is rich in iron, contains twice the beta-carotene of broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach, and twice the potassium of a banana.
Bitter melon contains a unique phyto-constituent that has been confirmed to have a hypoglycemic effect called charantin. There is also another insulin-like compound known as polypeptide P which have been suggested as insulin replacement in some diabetic patients.
How it works for Diabetes
Bitter gourd has been used to treat diabetes in traditional medicine and is now commercially available as tea (from fruits or leaves), juice, extracts, and pills.
In recent years researchers worldwide have started to focus on the anti-diabetic effects of bitter gourd. The goal is to provide safe and clear preparation and dosage recommendations so that consumers will realize the greatest benefit from consuming fresh bitter gourd or bitter gourd products.
Bitter gourd lowers blood glucose levels!
Bitter gourd lowers blood glucose levels!
Bitter gourd is not like most medicinal drugs, which are effective only in one target organ or tissue; rather, it influences glucose metabolism all over the body. Bitter gourd treatments of cell cultures or feeding trials with laboratory animals such as mice or rats show bitter gourd does have blood glucose lowering properties.
Bitter gourd helps to lower dietary carbohydrate digestion
The starting point of glucose metabolism is your gut, where carbs and sugars are transformed into glucose. From here your digestive system transports glucose to your blood. Researchers have found bitter gourd reduces the amount of glucose that is released into the blood by inhibiting the enzymes that break down disaccharides to two monosaccharides (e.g. glucose).
Bitter gourd helps to lower dietary carbohydrate digestion
The starting point of glucose metabolism is your gut, where carbs and sugars are transformed into glucose. From here your digestive system transports glucose to your blood. Researchers have found bitter gourd reduces the amount of glucose that is released into the blood by inhibiting the enzymes that break down disaccharides to two monosaccharides (e.g. glucose).
According to research studies bitter gourd can also influence the transport channels for glucose, which also reduces the amount of glucose transport into the blood. This discovery is very helpful for the treatment of both Type I and Type II diabetic patients and helps to prevent high blood sugar levels after meals.
Bitter gourd contains plant insulin
Insulin is necessary to lower high blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar increases, pancreas react secreting insulin in your blood, Insulin helps to transport the sugar from the blood to the skeletal muscle and the fat tissue where it is used to produce energy. Insulin also stops the liver from producing sugar from glycogen storage's in your body.
In Type I diabetes, the pancreas does not produce or secrete enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels low. Bitter gourd has been shown to be effective in treating Type I diabetes in rats or mice by increasing pancreatic insulin secretion. Additionally, scientists found an insulin-like molecule in bitter gourd. Although bitter gourd may reduce the number of insulin injections required to manage Type 1 diabetes, it cannot replace insulin treatment completely or heal this form of the disease.
Bitter gourd reverses insulin resistance
In Type II diabetes, the liver, skeletal muscle, and fat tissues do not respond adequately to insulin—they are insulin resistant. Research studies show bitter guard helps to prevent or reverse insulin resistance. Bitter gourd can play a role in the prevention and treatment of Type II diabetes, People with insulin resistance or those with a high risk of developing Type II diabetes have a good chance to prevent and treat the disease without drugs by increasing their physical activity and including bitter gourd in their diet.
Bitter gourd helps to prevent diabetic complications
Consuming bitter gourd can help prevent complications resulting from chronic high sugar concentrations from Type I and Type II diabetes wihich increase the risk of inflammation and oxidation in the whole body, resulting in complications like blindness, diabetic feet, kidney disease, stroke, or heart attack. Consuming bitter gourd not only decreases blood sugar levels, but also has some antioxidative properties.
Bitter gourd can save you from other non-communicable diseases
Becoming overweight is one of the most important risk factors for diabetics. Type II diabetes is often accompanied by hypertension, high plasma cholesterol, or high plasma lipids, these conditions increase the risk of stroke or heart attack. For overweight Type II diabetic patients, bitter gourd helps weight loss, Also research studies subjected to mice and rats show reduction in hypertension, plasma cholesterol and plasma lipids. There is also evidence that bitter gourd might be effective in cancer treatment.
Consuming bitter gourd can help prevent complications resulting from chronic high sugar concentrations from Type I and Type II diabetes wihich increase the risk of inflammation and oxidation in the whole body, resulting in complications like blindness, diabetic feet, kidney disease, stroke, or heart attack. Consuming bitter gourd not only decreases blood sugar levels, but also has some antioxidative properties.
Bitter gourd can save you from other non-communicable diseases
Becoming overweight is one of the most important risk factors for diabetics. Type II diabetes is often accompanied by hypertension, high plasma cholesterol, or high plasma lipids, these conditions increase the risk of stroke or heart attack. For overweight Type II diabetic patients, bitter gourd helps weight loss, Also research studies subjected to mice and rats show reduction in hypertension, plasma cholesterol and plasma lipids. There is also evidence that bitter gourd might be effective in cancer treatment.
A humble warning
Please be careful! More bitter gourd does not help more. Although bitter gourd can help prevent insulin resistance or severe diabetic complications, it is important to consider situations in which bitter gourd may be harmful to your health.
Exclusive consumption of bitter gourd, bitter gourd juice, or other bitter gourd products can lead to dangerous hypoglycemia when consumed by diabetic patients under oral drug treatment, in too high dosages, by children, or on a hungry stomach. Pregnant or breastfeeding woman should not consume bitter gourd or bitter gourd products.
Exclusive consumption of bitter gourd, bitter gourd juice, or other bitter gourd products can lead to dangerous hypoglycemia when consumed by diabetic patients under oral drug treatment, in too high dosages, by children, or on a hungry stomach. Pregnant or breastfeeding woman should not consume bitter gourd or bitter gourd products.
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