Properties: Bitter, cold
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Heart, Spleen and Stomach
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Clears Summerheat, improves eyesight and Removes toxicity
Dysentery, sunstroke, fever due to Polydipsia, swelling and pain of eyes, sores and boils, erysipelas, malignant ulcer
Suggested Daily Dosage: 6-15g in decoction.
Notes:
This herb has also gained a reputation for lowering blood sugar and assisting in the management of diabetes. Diabetes.co.uk says:
"The fruit contains at least three active substances with anti-diabetic properties, including charantin, which has been confirmed to have a blood glucose-lowering effect, vicine and an insulin-like compound known as polypeptide-p.
These substances either work individually or together to help reduce blood sugar levels.
It is also known that bitter melon contains a lectin that reduces blood glucose concentrations by acting on peripheral tissues and suppressing appetite - similar to the effects of insulin in the brain.
This lectin is thought to be a major factor behind the hypoglycemic effect that develops after eating bitter melon."
Does not appear in any formulae listed on this site
Research Links & References: (click to display)
Research Links:
Reference Notes:
Individual herb information has sourced mainly from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes. Zhou, Xie and Yan (2011): Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Vol. 5, and A+ Medical Encyclopaedia have been used for entries not available from those sources with additional material searched for and filled in where available. Western herbs not appearing in the Chinese literature have used Ross (2010): Combining Western Herbs and Chinese Medicine: A Clinical Materia Medica, White Rabbit Institute of Healing and therapeutika.ch. Choices of which source to use or combine have been my own.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted. Actions and indications are taken from traditional uses and do not necessarily reflect the evidence base which should be researched independently. Dosages are for guidance only and will vary dependening on the potency of the batch and the tolerance of the individual so should be evaluated by a professional based on individual needs.
