This can only be purchased at our store, we cannot currently sell online.
Bitter Melon (Monordica charantia)
A native to southern Asia, Bitter Melon is common throughout tropical regions of the world.
It is widely known for its benefits for regulating blood sugar as it contains compounds that act like insulin, helping to lower blood sugar levels by improving insulin sensitivity and sugar uptake by cells. Bitter Melon offers cancer-fighting properties and is rich in antioxidants like beta-carotene that protect against cellular damage. The same compounds also have anti-inflammatory effects and cholesterol reduction. Bitter Melon, being rich in vitamins and minerals, is incredibly supportive for the immune system and general health. In the West Indies, Bitter Melon is used for worms, urinary stones and fevers. It is also used in Turkey to help treat ulcers.
As the name suggests, Bitter Melon is bitter and very astringent. If you are adventurous and love south Asian food, you might like it, especially when it is prepared correctly. We were introduced to the yummy dishes with bitter melon through our Filipino friends If you don't like the taste, there are other ways of implementing Bitter Melon into your life without the astringency. Bitter Melon taken as a tincture, or picking the leaves to prepare a tea blend, mixing it with other herbs that you like, will offer you the benefits without the bitter taste.
Source: Andrew Chevallier, Encyclopédie of Herbal Medicine.
David Hoffman, Medical Herbalism