Health & Body: Curing Herbs in our backyard

Cerasee (Momordica charantia) is native to Africa, the Middle East as well as the Mediterranean region. This medicinal herb had been introduced to Brazil by way of African slaves and also from there this herb spread to the rest of Latin America, and also to the West Indies. It is frequently used within Jamaica for many kinds of skin treatments and also as an herbal bath. At present it reaches as far north as Texas and also Florida, where it grows wild. This medicinal herb also grows wild in Asia where it is used for medical purposes, and also as a vegetable.

The common names for this herb are karela, balsam apple, paoka, madian apple, mexicaine, caprika, and achochilla. This is a creeping herb which grows profusely on fences and on the ground. Yellow flowers and orange fruits are found all over the vine. The fruits can be eaten, and they are very sweet when ripe. The fruits are also popularly used in Chinese cooking. This herb is of the Cucuribitaceae family and it is one of the bitter herbs which also include Aloe Vera and neem.
The constituents of the leaves are momordocin, which is very bitter, fatty oil as well as resin.


Birth Control:
Females in Latin America and also the West Indies make use of the leaf for menstrual disorders and also to promote emission following childbirth. The tea is taken for nine days right after giving birth to clean out as well as tone up the vital organs involved in delivery. It is also used as an herbal approach to contraception, if you take two cups daily following intercourse, for three days. It is declared ladies who drink it each day do not get pregnant during that time. The women of the Grenadines also utilized it as a method of birth control.

Can I use this as a tea? What are the beneifits of the tea?
As a wash, the cerasee tea is used externally for sores, rashes, skin ulcers and all skin problems. The bath is good for arthritis, rheumatism, gout, and other similar ailments. A tea made from the vine is used for diabetes, high blood pressure, worms, dysentery, bellyaches, diarrhea, and malaria.

In Brazil, the tea is used as a tonic and remedy for colds, fevers and pains due to arthritis and rheumatism. In Curacao and Aruba the tea is used to lower blood pressure. In Philippines, cerasee is cultivated as a vegetable and cooked like other leafy vegetables. In Cuba, the tea is used as a remedy for colitis, liver complaints, fevers, and as a skin lotion. A tea of the root is used to expel kidney stones. In India, the green, unripe fruits are soaked in water and cooked in curry and other dishes. The juice of the ripe fruit, which contains valuable enzymes and minerals, is taken for diabetes.
Tea bags are now being manufactured and sold all over Jamaica for easy access. Pour one cup freshly boiled water over one tea bag. Brew for four minutes, then stir with spoon for stronger brew. If you wish, sweeten to taste.

Cancer?
Studies at the University of Miami School of Medicine have found an element called guanylate cyclase inside the ripe fruit which has the ability to inhibit the growth of cancer caused by chemicals. Cerasee was also studied at the Sloan-Kettering Institute as a possible cure for leukemia.

So next time readers don't cut this vine down. This vine is a miracle vine and has been passed down from generation to generation to heal many people.

                                                         Toodles for now
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                                                         Anaiyah Sunshine
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