Bitter melon, also known as Liang Gua, Laigua, commonly known as Kam Lychee, trailing Lychee, red girl, red damask shoes, Laigua grapes, Lei Gong chisel, etc., the bitter melon for the Cucurbitaceae annual climbing herbaceous plants, the fruit of the bitter melon. Cultivated throughout China. Harvested in the fall when the fruit is ripe. Split into two halves, remove the flesh, wash fresh or sliced and dried.

Ingredients and functions

Bitter melon contains protein, fat, sugar, calcium, phosphorus, and other nutrients. Sugar, calcium, phosphorus, iron, inorganic salts, vitamins, carotene, crude fiber and bitter melon. The content of vitamin B family in bitter melon is the first melon, and the content of vitamin c is also high. The seeds contain bitter melonin, fatty acids, proteins and so on. The bitter substance in bitter melon is quinine in alkaloids, which has the effect of promoting appetite, diuretic and blood circulation, anti-inflammatory and fever, relieving fatigue, clearing the mind and brightening the eyes. Research has found that bitter food contains high amino acids, in more than 30 kinds of amino acids in the bitter flavor of more than 20 kinds of, some bitter food is an important source of vitamin B, and vitamin B on cancer cells have a strong killing power.

Bitter melon contains total saponin components have hypoglycemic effect. Experiments have proved that bitter melon has a significant hypoglycemic effect on tetracosactyl diabetic mice. It has been reported that: the bitter melon dried and powdered into tablets (each tablet containing 0.5 grams of dry powder). Each time 15 - 25 tablets, 3 times a day orally, on the treatment of diabetes mellitus total efficiency of 79%. Bitter melon also contains a biologically active proteolipids, can improve human immunity, anti-cancer effect

Taste and efficacy

Bitter melon taste bitter and cold. It enters the heart, spleen, stomach, liver and lung meridians. Raw, it is used to clear summer heat, remove heat and annoyance; cooked, it is used to nourish blood and nourish the liver, moisten the spleen and tonify the kidneys. It can be used to treat summer heat and thirst, liver heat and red eyes, heart fire, heartburn and other symptoms.

Dosage

100 - 500 grams of fresh bitter melon each time, 20 - 50 grams of dried product each time. Cooking, stir-frying, or decoction, juice.

Methods of consumption

l. Cold bitter melon: the bitter melon washed and dissected to remove the core, soaked in cool salted water and cut into thin filaments, plus soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, green onion crumbs, monosodium glutamate mixed well that is to become. This dish tastes crisp and delicious, all five flavors. It has the effect of clearing heat and diarrhea, and is suitable for those who are easy to catch fire in summer.

2. Bitter melon juice ("Fujian Herbal Medicine"): fresh bitter melon 1, remove the flesh, chopped, mashed juice. Half a cup each time, boiling water. Has the effect of clearing dampness and heat. It is suitable for diarrhea of damp-heat or mild dysentery.

Medicinal formula

Bitter melon scattered ("Yunnan Materia Medica"): 1 bitter melon, remove the pith, sun-dried, roasted and powdered. Each time 5 grams, lampblack decoction soup delivery. It has the effect of clearing the liver and diarrhea. Mainly treats liver meridian with heat, eye redness and eye pain.

Precautions Bitter melon is cold, the spleen and stomach cold diarrhea can not be served.