Bitter Melon is the English name of Momordica charantia, a climbing vine whose leaves and green fruits, although bitter, has been used to fight cancer, diabetes and many infectious diseases.
It is also a powerful weapon against HIV/AIDS since some reports claim that bitter melon has substance Q. It is one of the most favorite vegetables among the Chinese and the most popular herbal tea as well.
The fruits and leaves of bitter melon are a good source of minerals and vitamins, such as iron, calcium, phosphorus and Vitamin B.
However, it is not known how much nutritional contents can actually be absorbed by the body's digestive system of the plant become some of these substances exist in unabsorbable form.
Does bitter melon have medicinal properties?
Yes. Books and articles about bitter melon states that the extract from the leaves or roots shrinks hemorrhoids. The juice from the leaves is also good to prevent and lessen cough, for fever and against roundworms.
Reportedly, it is also used to treat sterility in women and alleviate liver problems.
Likewise, bitter melon has some antimicrobial activity and can help infected wounds.
However, none of the medicinal uses of bitter melon has been proven scientifically, although they have not been disproved, either. It's just that it has not been studied enough.
Is it true that bitter melon tea and capsules are effective in lowering blood sugar of diabetics?
There is one case where it is proven that it can lower blood sugar levels from people suffering from Type 2 Diabetes. Results of these scientific studies that determine the effect of drinking of bitter melon extract on blood sugar level of Type 2 Diabetes have consistently shown that bitter melon lowers blood sugar level. The effect on blood sugar is due to momordicin, a substance that is also responsible for it's bitter taste.
The effect of the bitter melon leaves lowering blood sugar level among diabetics is evident regardless of how it is prepared - boiled then eaten, in the form of tea, capsule or tablet. But diabetics should be cautioned about replacing their proprietary medicines with bitter melon teas, capsules or tablets. So far, studies were done only on a very limited number of human subjects so bitter melon and diabetes cannot be labeled conclusive.
In fact, no large clinical trial has yet been published on the preparation of Momordica charantia (bitter melon). The manufacturers of bitter melon teas, capsules and tablets themselves are not claiming healing benefits for their products. They market them only as supplements.
Are they really good substitutes for the anti-diabetic drugs that are available in the market?
Bitter melon should be considered an addition in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. It could probably reduce the patients intake of antidiabetic drugs. It should not however, be regarded as a stand-alone medicine.
Also, diabetics who want to try bitter melon need not to spend money on the teas, tablets or capsules. They can cultivate or buy the plant from the market and prepare it themselves.
To prepare bitter melon extract, the following steps should be followed:
1. Wash and finely chop the leaves.
2. Add 6 tablespoons of the chopped leaves in 2 glasses of water.
3. Boil it for 15 min. in an uncovered pot.
4. Cool down and strain.
5. Drink 1/3 cup of it 3x a day.
Alternately, bitter melon tops can be steamed and eaten (1/2 cup 2x a day).
About the author:
Junji Takano is a Japanese health researcher and has been studying the causes of viruses since 1960s. In 1968, he invented Pyro-Energen, the first electrotherapy device that eradicates viral diseases in a non-narcotic way.
Click here to find out more: http://www.pyroenergen.com
Monday, July 13, 2009
Medicinal Properties of Bitter Melon - Good for Diabetics
Can working on your computer cause: foot pain?
Suffering from unbelievable pain on your foot? Can't walk long distances without stopping from time to time? Can't wear your favorite shoes but the pain coming from the ball of your foot, the arch, or the heel kills you?
Foot pain, known as metatarsalgia, usually occurs between the arch and the toe. It usually occurs in the foot's mid-portion.
A callus may cause foot pain. It is a skin build-up that developed due to pressure over the bone. It is usually found on the foot's bottom, and causes pain when walking. Shoes may also cause foot pain – too loose or too tight shoes may give you incredible pain in your foot.
Ill-fitting shoes may also cause pain because they tend to squeeze the foot, causing the pressure inside the increase. Loose shoes on the other hand creates friction by providing space for sliding and rubbing.
If the pain is in the underside of the foot, it might be due to a torn ligament or maybe a joint inflammation. You should consult with an orthopedic surgeon to further evaluate the damage and assess the status of the joint.
Some practical tips may help relieve foot pain. One of this is using a shoe insert which is available in drugstores and department stores. Many different brands are available and promise to help you with your foot pain problem. This shoe insert will be an excellent shock absorber so that you can wear any pair of shoes you want comfortable.
Since calluses causes foot pain, soaking feet to soften the calluses will help. Using a pumice stone or a file will help relieve you of your foot pain.
Of course the most practical and simplest way to prevent and relieve foot pain is to buy a pair that fits perfectly. It should be wide enough not to cause cramping inside the foot. For maximum comfort, heels should be flat or high-heeled but not higher than 2 ¼”.
Burning feet is a fairly common condition and involves the whole foot. It may be so severe that people who have the condition are usually kept awake at night because of the pain.
It happens more often to people over 50, although some younger people may also experience the condition. Diabetics often encounter this condition as a part of the nerve damage that may develop from their disease.
Another location of foot pain is the heel. Because the calcaneus or the heel bone is the largest bone that can be found in the foot, it usually hits the ground first when the individual walk, causing foot pain.
Another cause is due to strain on the ligament at the foot bottom, called plantar fascistic. Usually pain is felt early on the morning, upon waking up. Heel pain may also be caused by rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis.
Athletes also tend to develop heel pain from stress fractures.
Foot pain may also occur over the arch. It is caused by a strain in the structure in that part of the foot. Toe pain is also a common condition and might be due to an ingrown toe nail. An ingrown toe nail results in an infection and pressure in the nail fold area which can be very painful.
It is important to consult an expert to have the ingrown nail evaluated. He will prescribe you the antibiotics appropriate for your condition which you will have to take for several days.
He will also advise you proper care of the foot so that you will not have to suffer from foot pain again.
Foot pain can also occur in the ankle. It is usually due to long term wear and tear of the ankles, and activities that causes the ankle to tip over. Foot pain may also be due to nerve damage.
Pain that occurs on the ball of the foot may be because of masses or growths of tissues which wrap around nerves and causes pain. This is called Morton's neuroma. It usually occurs in a single foot and women are at increased risk.
Mild ache with some burning or tingling usually is felt around the third or fourth toe. Wearing narrow shoes and pointed shoes exacerbate the symptom, like a rock is inside the shoe.
There are other risks as you sit in front of that computer but it would be to much to write about in this article, so if you would like to learn more about other risks such as:
Eye strain
RSI (Repetitive Stress Syndrome)
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Constant Head Aches
Dizziness
Breathing Problems
Difficulty Concentrating
You can learn all about this in the book: “The Painless PC”
About the author:
Hege Crowton is establishing herself as an expert copywriter.
She is known for doing in-depth research before writing her articles.
Many of her articles are posted on www.ezinecrow.com
Just How Dangerous Are Splenda and Artificial Sweeteners - Which Side is Spinning?
There seems to be fairly poor tracking by any formal standards once a product is approved as a food additive. Despite supposedly tracking adverse reactions, the reality has been different at the FDA.
Aspartame is a case in point. Apparent collusion, distorted research reports, lack of funding for independent research, questionable practices in tracking adverse reactions and reporting them. It's a pretty ugly sounding story.
It's been said that Aspartame is a contract on humanity. Here's one source you might find puts you off Aspartame for good: http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/suffer.faq - "Reported Aspartame Toxicity Effects".
Are the estimates (in the report above) of the real number of toxic reactions accurate? I'm no epidemiologist but what struck me was the large number of serious toxic reactions reported by pilots. My conclusion -- I won't use the stuff. And there are suggestions that the offshoot - Neotame - may be even worse.
Everyone pretty much knows the kinds of problems that have been reported with cyclamates and Saccharin. Weirdly - perhaps bad tracking? - the actual dangers still seem unclear after many years of use. However, as I read it, they seem to be substantially less toxic than some more recent artificial sweeteners.
Splenda is the latest and greatest. Reportedly manufactured from sugar by substituting 3 chlorine atoms for 3 hydroxyl groups, some claim that the end product is not what it should be. Apparently if it were made from sugar then when you dissolve it in water (hydrolyze), it ought to produce chlorinated glucose which is a known toxin. Instead it produces chlorinated monosaccharides.
Splenda, or sucralose, is a chlorocarbon. Chlorocarbons have an illustrious history, being known for causing organ, reproductive and genetic damage. Whether sucralose (Splenda) is as safe as the manufacturer claims (which is pretty much what manufacturers always claim) remains to be seen. Here is another reference worth taking a look at: http://www.mercola.com/2000/dec/3/sucralose_dangers.htm - "Secret Dangers of Splenda".
Andrew Weil, MD has some pertinent - and more moderate comments on Aspartame and Splenda here: http://www.drweil.com/u/QA/QA106654/ - "Aspartame: Can a Little Bit Hurt". He suggests using the "precautionary" principle - which basically says if there are questions about the safety of a product, don't use it.
At this point, I think it's my head that's spinning. I'm uncertain whether Splenda is safe, reasonably safe, slightly risky or seriously risky. When I looked at the manufacturer's site and a couple other sites that were all enthused about Splenda, I didn't see any answers to the points the critics are making. Mostly it's all lightness, sweetness and the miracle of modern science.
Like you I've seen some miracles of modern science turn into nightmares when the testing wasn't adequate, when the results were fudged, when coverups went on. So questions exist about all the artificial sweeteners. Splenda may be less dangerous than Aspartame (which I sure wouldn't recommend to anyone). Long-term and independent studies are lacking. And here's the real kicker:
***** From Consumers' Research Magazine "There is no clear-cut evidence that sugar substitutes are useful in weight reduction. On the contrary, there is some evidence that these substances may stimulate appetite."
Now that just tears it. Risk your health using one of these chemicals and then end up eating more because it stimulates your appetite. Terrific.
So what alternatives are there? Surprisingly there are quite a few. One interesting alternative is a South American plant called Stevia. Apparently once considered a potential threat to the sugar industry, it seems to have been deep-sixed early in the twentieth century. It has been used as a sweetener for centuries by South American natives. In the U.S., it seems (somehow) to have been kept from being available as an "additive" and the FDA has said not enough studies have been done. Yet it's widely used by diabetics and in countries such as Japan and Brazil. Stevia is available at health stores as a supplement (though without any indication that it could be used as a sweetener). It's a fascinating story which you can read here: http://www.stevia.net/ - The Stevia Story
More information on alternative sweeteners is in our article: http://www.carb.werkz.org/healthier-sweeteners.php - "Healthier Alternatives to Artificial Sweeteners."
Our health is challenged on all sides these days. New chemicals, new additives, genetically engineered foods, highly processed foods, empty calories, stress and pollution all pose threats to our bodies.
I've come to the conclusion that the fewer highly processed, chemically enhanced, questionably assessed, factory created products we ingest, the better off we will probably be.
Our bodies evolved as a part of the natural world and though we are changing the world radically (which is only natural, it is what people do after all), our bodies do not evolve and adapt at the rate technology changes.
And for scientific, political and economic reasons, the quality and thoroughness of evaluations done on newly created products don't match up to our industrial creativity.
Finally, balancing the need to lose weight (or maintain an optimum weight) against potential risks creates difficult choices.
It's up to you to make the best choice you can for your specific situation -- just remember, that old saw still holds - Let the buyer beware.
About the author:
http://www.Carb.Werkz.org
EyeCare America Promotes No-Cost Medical Eye Screenings Through its Glaucoma EyeCare Program
(ARA) - As someone’s sight diminishes, so does the ability to fully experience some of life’s richest moments -- a grandchild learning to ride a bike, for example, or any number of nature’s visual wonders. Furthermore, when people go blind, they face loss of independence and are more likely to suffer from depression.
Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness in the United States, is a group of eye diseases that gradually steals sight without warning and often without symptoms.
In fact, nearly 3 million people have glaucoma, but half do not realize it. Approximately 120,000 are blind from glaucoma, accounting for 9 percent to 12 percent of all cases of blindness in the United States. more likely to go blind than non-diabetics.
EyeCare America, the public service foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, encourages people to take advantage of its national Glaucoma EyeCare Program. This program offers glaucoma eye screenings and care for those at increased risk of glaucoma.
To see if you, a loved one or a friend, is eligible to receive a referral for an eye exam and care, call (800) 391-EYES (3937), 24 hours, seven days a week, year round. All eligible callers receive a referral to one EyeCare America’s volunteer ophthalmologists.
“If it wasn’t for EyeCare America my husband may have lost his sight to glaucoma,” said Eva Gordon, wife of an EyeCare America patient.
The Glaucoma EyeCare Program promotes early detection and treatment of glaucoma. It raises awareness of glaucoma risk factors, provides free glaucoma educational materials and facilitates access to a glaucoma eye examination. The Glaucoma EyeCare Program is designed for people who:
* Are U.S. citizens or legal residents
* Have not had an eye exam in 12 months or more
* Are at increased risk for glaucoma (family history, race, age)
People may call the toll-free help line anytime, for themselves and/or family members and friends, to see if they qualify for a glaucoma eye exam or to request free eye care information.
Those eligible for a referral through the Glaucoma program receive a glaucoma eye exam and the initiation of treatment, if deemed necessary. Patients with insurance will be billed and are responsible for any co-payments and/or the cost of the eye examination. Uninsured patients will receive the above care at no charge.
Founded in 1980, EyeCare America, the public service foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, is committed to the preservation of sight, accomplishing its mission through public service and education.
In the United States, EyeCare America is one of the largest providers of eye care services to the medically underserved and educates the general public about the eye and vision.
In developing nations, EyeCare America helps improve eye care by providing free educational resources and materials to ophthalmologists in those regions.
EyeCare America is a non-profit organization whose success is made possible by its corps of more than 7,500 volunteer ophthalmologists dedicated to serving their communities and through charitable contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
More information can be found at:
www.eyecareamerica.org