Bitter Melon

Easing Indigestion:

Bitter gourd may help treat viruses or infections, either topically or
internally. Bitter gourd inhibited the hepatitis B virus in vitro, according to a 2009 study in China. A 1995 animal study published in the journal Gene revealed that bitter gourd inhibited HIV and had anti-tumor effects, reports the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. As a topical agent made as a 10-percent-concentration ointment, bitter gourd might also prevent or treat infections in wounds, Drug Digest says. The studies indicating bitter gourd's antiviral and infection-fighting benefits have been conducted in animals or test tubes, so as of 2010, no conclusive human studies had proven these effects.

Preventing Cancer :
Bitter gourd might offer anticancer effects that could help to prevent or treat cancer, Drug Digest reports. A laboratory study of human breast cancer cells found that bitter gourd had anti-tumor effects, according to a 2000 issue of Anticancer Research. Another laboratory study published in the International Journal of Cancer in 2009 discovered that bitter gourd inhibited pre-malignant and malignant prostate cancer cells, notes the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Studies in humans have yet to be conducted on bitter gourd, so you shouldn't take the herbal remedy to treat or prevent cancer before first talking with your physician.

Lowering Cholesterol :
If you have high cholesterol levels, taking bitter gourd might help to reduce them. A 2006 laboratory study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology found that bitter gourd had lipid-lowering actions, cites the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. No human clinical trials have been conducted, but bitter gourd appears to reduce cholesterol levels in the liver and moderately in the blood, Drug Digest notes. Bitter gourd is thought to inhibit enzymes that enable fat absorption in your body. Bitter gourd might also increase your levels of HDL or "good" cholesterol. Don't take bitter gourd to lower your cholesterol before first talking with your healthcare provider.

Treating Diabetes :
Bitter gourd may offer therapeutic benefits if you have high blood sugar or diabetes. Bitter gourd contains the constituent charantin, vicine and polypeptide-P, which appear to affect glucose metabolism and tolerance in the body, reports the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.