Bitter melon or bitter Gourd is a popular vegetable throughout the world. It is especially popular in South East Asia where it goes by a variety of names and is used as a medicine and in cooking. It's botanical name is Mormordica Charantia. Mormodica is Latin for bitter and Charantia is Greek for beautiful flower. The fruit of the bitter melon looks like a large zucchini but has a light green skin that is distinctively rough and bumpy. It is claimed to be good for managing diabetes. This article will examine the claims and look at how people use the vegetable.

It is claimed that bitter melon has hypoglycemic effects on the body. In other words, it reduces the level of glucose in the blood. There have been numerous studies done in laboratory conditions and on mice and human subjects. The vegetable is particularly popular in the Philippines where a number of studies have taken place. One such study was carried out by at the St. Luke's Hospital, Quezon City. Two test groups were given a tea to be consumed after a meal over a period of 24 weeks. One tea had a bitter melon supplement added while the other was a regular tea. Over the period of the test it was noted that the people drinking the bitter melon tea had a lowered blood sugar level by comparison to the normal tea drinkers.

Other experiments have confirmed this finding that bitter melon can be used to control blood sugar levels. However research into the vegetable is still needed to determine why it has this affect on blood.

There are few theories as to how bitter melon works.

The first is that it helps the beta cells in the pancreas to recover. Beta cells are responsible for producing insulin in the body. Insulin is the body's way of reducing blood sugar levels by metabolizing the sugar as energy. In type 1 diabetes it is thought that the beta cells are destroyed by the body.

The second theory is that the vegetable helps the liver to use or store glucose. Excess glucose in the blood is converted to glycogen in the body in the muscle, fat and liver cells thus reducing the blood sugar level. In diabetics this does not happen.

The third theory is closely related to the first, in that the vegetable or active ingredient in the vegetable activates insulin secretion. This could be seen as more useful to people with type 2 diabetes because they are essentially insulin resistant. Although we do not know why the body becomes insulin resistant it could be that the insulin is not secreted at the proper time.

Bitter melon is taken in a number of ways. It can be taken as a dried extract in teas or other beverages that help it to dissolve. The fruit can be liquidized with a favorite juice and taken as a refreshing cold drink. The vegetable can be used in many types of food. It can be cooked from raw in a Asian style stir fry meal or in an Indian curry.

Bitter melon is sometimes known as vegetable insulin because it has the same or similar effects as animal insulin on the body. You should, however, consult your doctor if you plan to start using bitter melon. You shouldn't stop taking any prescribed medication either. Consult your doctor if you are pregnant and want to start taking bitter melon. It is best to trial it along side your current diabetic treatment and analyze the results before making any changes to your treatment.

Supplements and natural remedies are all part of eating a healthy and balanced diabetic diet. Find out more about diabetic diets at http://www.diabeticdietsplan.com The site deals with a variety of issues regarding foods and cooking for diabetics. Adrian Whittle writes on issues related to diabetes including symptoms of diabetes, and diabetic complications like retinopathy and neuropathy.