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 Bitter
gourd (peria) has been used both in cooking and as a medicinal herb
for generations in various cultures.
Bitter gourd is traditionally taken as a natural
panacea for elevated glucose levels as well as parasites in the gut.
But are the old wives' tales scientifically proven? Animal studies
have shown that bitter gourd, known as Momordica charantia to the
scientific community, has some effect on blood glucose lowering.
However, multi-centre, large-scale clinical
trials involving humans are lacking. Therefore, the efficacy and
safety results obtained in animal studies cannot be substantiated as
yet. Bitter gourd has also been used to treat cancer, viral
infections and immune disorders, as it is said to have anti-viral
activity against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and herpes,
cytotoxic effects against leukaemia cells and cytostatic effects in
breast cancer.
These properties have been shown in vitro and
animal studies, but have yet to be proven in humans. Mainly grown in
the tropical regions of South and Southeast Asia, China, Africa abd
the Caribbean, gitter gourd is a vine of the Cucurbitaceae family.
It is found in a variety of shapes and sizes. The
typical Chinese is 20-30cm long, oblong, with blunt ends and pale
green in color, with a gently undulating, warty surface.
The Indian type is much smaller at only 6-10cm in
length, is of a darker green, a narrower shape with pointed ends and
a warty-looking exterior.
Cutting the fruit in cross-section reveals a
relatively thin layer of flesh and a central seed cavity filled with
large flat seeds and pith, which are white in unripe fruits, are
usually removed before the fruits is cooked.
The fruit is usually sliced and can be cooked in
different styles:
Chinese: Stir-fried with meat, in soups and also
as a tea.
Indian: Cooked with potatoes, stuffed with or
soaked in spices and deep-fried, or cooked with grated coconut.
Indonesia: Stir-fried, cooked in coconut milk or
steamed.
Vietnamese: Raw slices mixed with dried meat
floss and stuffed with meat to make soup with shrimps.
Filipino: Stir-fried with ground beef and oyster
sauce or with eggs and diced tomato, or stewed with vegetables and
beans.
Pakistani: Prepared as fresh salsa, sautéed with
spices, cooked in curry with spices, tomatoes and green chilies, and
stuffed with cooked ground beef and boiled.
Although bitter gourd is eaten in many countries,
it is potentially toxic to children and pregnant women - they
should, therefore, avoid it to prevent adverse effects like
hypoglycaemia (decrease in blood sugar levels_ and hepato-toxicity
(liver toxicity). Bleeding, contractions and abortions may also
induced in pregnant women.
Diabetic who are on insulin or oral hypoglycemic
agents must be aware that bitter gourd can have an additive
hypoglycemic effect.
Also, eating bitter gourd seeds may cause
headache, fever, abdominal pain and coma. So it's best to eat just
the edible fleshy layer!
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