Momordica charantia or Bitter Melon, also known as balsam pear or Karela, is a Tropical vegetable, is a common food in Indian cusine and has been used extensively in folk medicine as a remedy for diabetes. The fruit is considered as tonic, stomachic, stimulant,emetic, antibilous, laxative and alterative. The fruit is useful in gout, rheumatism and subacute cases of the spleen and liver diseases. It is supposed to purify blood and dissipate melancholia and gross humours. It has also been shown to have hypoglycaemic properties (antidiabetic) in animal as well as human studies.
