Did you know…that you can keep your blood sugar level in check with a “cucumber” secret?
Chances are, you’ve never heard of the tiny little cucumber called the coccinia cordifolia. Also called kundru …baby watermelon…little gourd…gentleman’s toes…and most commonly, ivy gourd—this vegetable has been prized in India for centuries.
Now, this curative wonder is gaining the attention it deserves from Western researchers for its ability to keep your blood sugar level in check.
Blood Sugar Level Dropped by 16%
A 3-month study conducted by doctors at the Institute of Population Health and Clinical Research in Bangalore, India showed impressive results.
Blood sugar level in new diabetics who consumed ivy gourd dropped by 16%. The botanical also reduced post-prandial blood glucose (sugar count after a meal) by 18%. 
The findings were reported in the international journal Diabetes Care.
“We fed 30 early diabetics a daily capsule of one gram of frozen, dried powder of [ivy gourd], that is equivalent to 15 grams of the vegetable, for 3 months and found it to greatly reduce blood sugar. It also reduced glycosylated haemoglobin by 0.4% which is significant,” said Dr. Ganapathi Bantwal, associate professor of endocrinology at St. John’s Medical College Hospital, Bangalore.
An Effective “Natural” Insulin
Research suggests that ivy gourd supports healthy blood sugar by acting like natural insulin in your body.
Correct insulin levels are absolutely crucial to blood sugar level health. That’s because insulin gathers sugar from the blood and carries it to cells where it serves as their energy source. Consuming ivy gourd boosts your body’s sugar metabolism, because this plant is just as effective as biologically generated insulin at transporting sugar to your cells.
Health-Giving Traditional Herb
Both traditional Thai and Ayurvedic medicinal systems classify ivy gourd as a health-giving herb. Ivy gourd is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family. The woody, climbing, fruit-bearing vine is native to tropical areas such as:
- India
- China
- The Philippines
- Indonesia
- Malaysia
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- Australia
- Hawaii
When plucked green, the gourd-like fruits are used in cooking—like a vegetable. However, once fully ripened, the fruits have a sweet taste and are therefore often eaten raw. All parts of the plant have medicinal benefits, but the leaves are most powerful for controlling blood sugar.
Even More Benefits Than Just Blood Sugar Level
Along with the leaves, the juice of the roots of the ivy gourd can also be used to treat diabetes.
Other parts of the plant can be equally useful in addressing different diseases. For example, the stem juice can be dripped into the eyes to treat cataracts. When applied topically, the leaves can be used as a soothing poultice for the treatment of skin irritations. When taken internally, the plant acts as a laxative and is sometimes used as an alternative treatment for gonorrhea.
Pharmacologically speaking, ivy gourd has many important activities. It is an …
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antioxidant
- Anti-mutagenic
- Anti-diabetic
- Anti-bacterial
- Anti-protozoal
- Anti-ulcer
- Hepato-protective
- Expectorant
- Analgesic
The ivy gourd can help you lower your blood sugar level and has been used historically to nourish the pancreas…liver…Kidney…and eyes. Practitioners of traditional and alternative healing modalities use ivy gourd as a remedy for conditions ranging from the common cough to anorexia.
In the United States currently, ivy gourd is most easily available via orders from online suppliers, though it may be found in some natural foods stores, as well.
