Bitter Melon

Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is a green cucumber-shaped fruit with gourdlike bumps all over it. In fact, it looks like an ugly cucumber. And, like the cucumber, bitter melon is a member of the Cucurbitaceae, or gourd, family, along with squash and watermelon. The name of the plant’s genus, Momordica, comes from the Latin word meaning “to bite,” a reference to its seeds, whose edges are serrated as if they had been chewed or bitten.

Bitter melon is a fast-growing, slender, climbing vine with long-stalked leaves. It produces yellow flowers in July and/or August.

Bitter melon is native to the tropical areas of Asia, Africa, India, the Caribbean, and South America.

The fruit of the bitter melon is also known as the balsam pear. Inside it is filled with large seeds loosely packed in its white, spongy flesh. The fruit appears from September to October. It is light to emerald green when young, turning yellow-orange as it ripens. At maturity, the fruit tends to split open, revealing orange flesh with a bright red placenta to which numerous tan or white seeds are attached.

Usually the bitter-flavored unripe fruit is used as a vegetable. Although it is one of the most popular vegetables in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, India, and the Philippines, bitter melon is an acquired taste for most Westerners.

HISTORY

Bitter melon grows well in warm temperatures and is thought to have originated in Africa or Asia, but it is now a relatively common food in tropical regions around the world. Virtually everywhere it grows, bitter melon has been used medicinally. Native healers in the Amazon to Ayurvedic doctors in India have used bitter melon to treat diabetes, as it is a natural hypoglycemic (blood sugar-lowering) agent. In the Amazon, fruit juice and/or a tea made from the leaves is also employed to treat colic, sores and wounds, infections, worms and parasites, measles, hepatitis, fevers, and as an emmenogogue (a medication that brings on or increases a woman’s menstrual flow). In India, the plant is used to treat hemorrhoids, abdominal discomfort, fever, warm infections, and skin diseases, especially scabies (a skin disease caused by a mite that burrows into the skin). To treat scabies, practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine extract the juice from the leaf of bitter melon and apply it externally to the affected area.

In the Philippines, bitter melon has been used for centuries as a remedy for diabetes, leukemia, asthma, insect bites, menstrual cycle problems, and stomach problems. And in traditional Chinese medicine, it is used as an appetite stimulant; as a treatment for gastrointestinal infection, dry coughs, bronchitis, and throat problems; and to combat breast cancer. The seeds are also applied topically for skin swellings caused by sprains and fractures, and for sores that are slow to heal.

NUTRITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

Bitter melon is low in calories—a whole cup of cooked bitter melon is only 23.5 calories—but dense in nutrients. Bitter melon is an excellent source of vitamin C, folic acid, zinc, potassium, and dietary fiber; a very good source of thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin E, magnesium, and manganese; and a good source of pantothenic acid and copper.

HEALTH BENEFITS

The hypoglycemic effect of the fresh juice of the unripe bitter melon has been confirmed in scientific studies in animals and humans. Bitter melon contains a compound known as charantin that is even more potent than the drug tolbutamide, which is often used in the treatment of diabetes to lower blood sugar levels. Bitter melon also contains an insulin like compound referred to as polypeptide P, or vegetable insulin. Since polypeptide P and bitter melon appear to have fewer side effects than insulin, they have been suggested as replacements for insulin in some patients. However, it may not be necessary to inject these insulin alternatives, as the oral administration of as little as 2 ounces of bitter melon juice has shown good results in clinical trials in patients with diabetes.

Bitter melon has also been found to contain antiviral proteins. Two of these proteins, which are present in the seeds, fruit, and leaves of bitter melon, have been shown to inhibit the AIDS virus in vitro (in test-tube studies). In 1996, the scientists conducting this research filed a U.S. patent on a novel protein they found and extracted from the fruit and seeds of bitter melon, which they named “MAP 30.” Their patent states that MAP 30 is “useful for treating tumors and HIV infections.” MAP 30 has also demonstrated powerful antiviral activity against other viruses, including the herpes simplex virus.

In addition, the ripe fruit of bitter melon has been shown to exhibit some rather profound anticancer effects, especially against leukemia.

HOW TO SELECT AND STORE

Unripe bitter melon is available primarily at Asian grocery stores. The unripe fruit should be firm, like a cucumber. Avoid fruits that have turned orange or have soft spots. Growers are advised to harvest young bitter melon fruits eight to ten days after the flowers open, while the fruits are still firm and light green. The fruits at this stage are typically 4 to 6 inches long. Beyond this stage, fruits will turn yellow-orange and become spongy and excessively bitter.

Bitter melon can be stored in the fruit bin of the refrigerator covered and unwashed for four to five days. This fruit is delicate and should be handled with care. It is sensitive to cold and should not be stored below 50 degrees F. Symptoms of cold exposure include pitting, discolored areas, and a high incidence of decay. On the other hand, fruits stored at temperatures greater than 55 degrees F. tend to continue to ripen, turning yellow and splitting open.

Store bitter melon away from apples, pears, potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables that produce ethylene gas, since it will cause the fruit to continue to ripen and become more bitter.

TIPS FOR PREPARING

Wash bitter melon thoroughly under cold running water with a soft vegetable brush. If it has been waxed or is not organically grown, you will need to spray it with or soak it in a mild solution of additive-free soap or use a produce wash before eating. Slice bitter melon lengthwise and scoop out the seeds as you might with a cucumber. Unlike cucumbers’, however, the seeds of a bitter melon should always be removed. To lessen the bitter flavor, soak bitter melon in salt water or parboil with a little salt before cooking.

QUICK SERVING IDEAS

Bitter melon is often very difficult to make palatable for Westerners. As its name implies, it is quite bitter. If you desire the medicinal effects, it is best to simply take a 2-ounce shot of the juice.

Bitter melon is typically used as a flavor-enhancing addition in recipes, as all parts of the plant, as its name suggests, have a very bitter taste and add an astringent sour quality to a dish.

Bitter melon dishes are a favorite in Bengal, where they are eaten at the start of a

meal with plain boiled rice, since serving bitter foods at the beginning of a meal is thought to get the digestive juices flowing.

The most famous Bengali way of eating bitter melon is in a stew of bitter melon and other vegetables known as shukto. To make shukto, dice about 1 cup each of bitter melon, potato, plantain (green banana), eggplant, onion, and taro, along with about ½ cup of radish. Stir-fry the vegetables in a little canola oil. Add 1 teaspoon each of grated ginger and mustard seed. Then add 2 cups cooked lentils, and stir to mix the ingredients well. Next, add salt and sugar to taste, enough water to form a thick-soup consistency, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until heated through. Serve with rice.

In any vegetable stew, bitter melon accentuates the mix of flavors, especially when combined with blander vegetables, such as okra, onions, potatoes, and eggplant.

Bitter melons are also enjoyed as part of other vegetable curries, for example, stir-fried with potatoes or curried with eggplant and onions. Thito is a popular bitter melon curry dish. To prepare it, heat some canola oil in a deep pot or work and stir-fry 3 large or 4 medium sliced onions. Add liberal amounts of chili, cumin, and turmeric powders and stir well. Add equal amounts (1 to 2 cups each) of cubed eggplant and bitter melon. Stir-fry for several minutes, then add salt and a little water if needed. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are cooked through. Serve with plain cooked rice.

Another delicious way to enjoy bitter melon is to slice it into ¼-inch slices (after it has been cut in half lengthwise and seeded) and then sauté it briefly with sliced onions and tomatoes. Add scrambled eggs and other seasonings to taste.

Try korola bhaté (mashed bitter melon): Parboil green bitter melons until soft, slice in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, then mash. Add an equal amount of mashed boiled potatoes. Saute a handful of dried red chili peppers in olive oil and add to the mashed bitter melon÷potato mixture. Mix well, salt to taste, and serve with rice.

SAFETY

Consuming excessive amounts of bitter melon—several melons or 6 to 8 ounces of fresh juice—may cause mild abdominal pain or diarrhea. When bitter melon is prescribed as a therapeutic agent in diabetes, patients are told to eat one small melon or take no more than 60 milliliters (30 milliliters = 1 ounce) per day. Diabetics taking hypoglycemic drugs, such as chlorpropamide, glyburide, or metformin, may need to alter the dosage of these drugs if they consume bitter melon on a daily basis.

Bitter melon should not be eaten by pregnant women because the active constituents (alpha-and beta-monorcharins) in bitter melon have been shown to stimulate the uterus and may cause preterm labor.

In animal studies, bitter melon seed extracts have been shown to have male antifertility effects, specifically, reduction of sperm production. Such adverse effects have not been reported in humans, however, despite widespread consumption of the fruits.