Ivy Gourd

Ivy gourd, or "Coccinia grandis", is a perennial vine with elongated red berries native to Asia and the Pacific Islands. The leaves and berries are edible, and all parts of the plant are used medicinally.

Special Precautions of Ivy Gourd

This plant may enhance the effects of insulin so diabetics should consult a health care professional before taking ivy gourd.

The benefits of Ivy Gourd are

• Local healers use it to treat cataracts, gonorrhea, psoriasis, cystitis, constipation and high cholesterol.
• The plant has a long history of use in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for treating diabetes, bronchitis and skin diseases. Active ingredients include triterpenoids, carotenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids and fatty acids, and the plant has antibacterial and hypoglycemic actions.
• diabetes : Blood sugar levels 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%.Research suggests that ivy gourd supports healthy blood sugar by acting like natural insulin in your body.
• A study by G. Singh and colleagues published in the December 2007 issue of "Phytomedicine" tested a leaf extract for its action on blood lipids in animals. The study found that the extract significantly lowered triglycerides and total cholesterol, and the active constituent is a polyprenol. Polyprenols are terpenoids that have potent antioxidant and anti-cholesterol actions. This study supports the traditional use of ivy gourd for high cholesterol.