Bitter Melon Extract May Stop Breast Cancer

[News]

A common vegetable used in Asia, and South America for diabetes management may slow and stop breast cancer, new research suggests.

More... (http://www.healthcentral.com/breast-cancer/news-465458-98.html)

[Rich66]

Didn't they have a hit song in the late 90's?

[1rarebird]

I ran across this 2000 Pubmed abstract ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10810336?dopt=Citation ) that links the active component of bitter melon to an adverse effect on the expression of breast tumor antigen HER2 (also known as neu or as c-erbB 2). I wonder if this association has been repeated by others more recently.

[ElaineM]

Bittermelon will go on my shopping list more often than it used to go on the shopping list. I use it in stir fry with other veggies. It is eaten in Okinawa which is one of the blue zones where people have the longest lives.
If you are not familiar with bittermelon you can find pictures and information at http://bittermelon.org/.
I am going to ask my naturopath if I should also take this in supplement form.

[Ellie F]

Hi Elaine
Please let us know whether your naturopath recommends taking it in supplement form. I am having difficulty finding the fruit in UK.I understand that the seeds contain the 'good' nutrients
Ellie

[ElaineM]

I don't know what my naturopath would say about bittermelon in supplement form for other people. We have so many different kinds of fruits and vegetables from all over the world in Hawaii, so must of the time we can get those things fresh. He only said it might be good for me to cook more with bittermelon.
You can probably order the supplements online or you might be able to buy the seeds online and grow your own indoors if you have a green thumb. I am drying a few seeds from bittermelon to plant as soon as I get my tiny garden ready.