Читать книгу Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Supplement Use in People with Diabetes: A Clinician's Guide - Laura Shane-McWhorter - Страница 59

Ivy gourd is a unique tropical member of the family Cucurbitaceae.¹²⁰ It grows well in India, Southeast Asia, and the Philippines. It has spread to Australia and has been found in Fiji, Tonga, and Hawaii. It is an aggressive climbing perennial vine that spreads quickly over trees and shrubs. The leaves range from 5 to 10 cm (about 2–4 inches) in length and have five lobes that vary from a heart to a pentagon shape. Ivy gourd is a dioecious plant, and the white male and female flowers grow separately. The fruit starts out green and turns red when ripe. Ivy gourd has been classified as a medicinal herb in the traditional practice of ancient Thai medicine. For medicinal purposes, several parts of the plant have been used, including the leaves, roots, stems, and whole plant. The juice of the roots and leaves is used in diabetes, and the leaves are also used as a poultice for skin eruptions.

In Thailand, the young leaves and tips are blanched and prepared in stir-fry dishes, or the leaves are used in curries or for dipping chili paste. Leaves and stems are also added to soup dishes with different meats or noodles. The young leaves are boiled with porridge and then crushed and fed to young children. Other parts of the plant are also used for burns, insect bites, fever, gastrointestinal complaints, and various eye infections.¹²⁰