Scientific Name: Momordica Chanrantia

Parts Used: Leaves and vines

Another Name: Bitter Melon, Karela, Balsam Apple, Paoka, Madian Apple, Caprika, Mexicaine, Achochilla, Wild Cerasse, Art Pumpkin, Balsamo, Archucha, Balsam Pear, Coraillie, Papayilla Pepino, Surcy, Sorosee

Properties: Bitter, Emmenagogue, Hepatic, Febrifuge, Vermifuge, Tonic

Body Parts Affected: Stomach, Skin, Mouth, Blood, Organs

Uses: In Jamaica, Cerasee tea is a popular remedy for colds and fevers. Sometimes, fresh leaves are chewed for sore throat and mouth sores. It is used as a laxative for constipation in children, as well as, intestinal worms. The tea is used as a general tonic and for relief from stomachache. Jamaican women use it to provide relief from painful menstrual periods and as a form of birth control. Persons suffering from arthritis and rheumatism are helped by using this herb. Some believe it is a remedy for cancer and so this is another use for the herb. It purifies the blood and lowers blood pressure. When very hot, it is used for toothaches and mouth infections. Externally, it is used as a bath for skin eruptions, pimples, stubborn wounds and sores. Cerasee is useful in the treatment of anemia, fatigue, mental disorders and as a blood and organ cleanser.

History/Tradition: Cerasee is one of the most popular folk-remedy plants in the Caribbean. For hot belly boil and drink as tea or boil with marigold for a woman with menstrual pain. For cold and fever,pour hot water over the leaves and keep covered to draw. This can be given to a baby in case of constipation. Old timers say that the fruit is eaten boiled as pickle or in stews, or it is fried after soaking in salt.

Benefits: Cerasee is useful as a general tonic, which contributes to the well-being of the body. It is very useful to women who suffer from painful menstrual cycles. For persons with skin infections and ailments, Cerasee tea helps to 'clean up the skin'. It purifies the blood and is useful for tooth and other oral problems.

Note: The fruit of this vine can be eaten although it is hardly eaten in Jamaica. The tea is not to be drunk regularly as studies show that too much can cause liver damage. It should not be taken by diabetics as it masks the sugar content in the blood and urine.

Family Name: Cucurbitaceae

Herb #: HRB-72
Name: Cerassee
Price: $13.05 / 16 oz
Format: 1/2 oz Pkg, 4 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz and bulk
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One of those herbs you will love to hate... every child in Jamaica nightmare before the opening of the new school year. Whether you drink it with honey or cane sugar, your parents ensure its all gone to cleanse your blood and body of a summer of junk food and candies...aahh
                                                            "Sandra Dunkley, Bronx, NY"

Resources:
Popular Uses of Common Jamaican Herbs/Medicinal Food Journal -- Edwin "Ras Makara" Lawson
Natural Healing with Herbs --- Humbart Santillo, N.D. cpy.1984
Notes on Jamaica Ethnobotany -- Martha Warren Beck -- 1922 Jamaican Herbs -- Diane Robertson
Flowering Plants of Jamaica -- C.D. Adams, UWI
Wild Flowers of Jamaica -- Alex D. Hawkes, Brenda C. Sutton
Atlas of Medicinals Plants of Middle America, Bahamas to Yucatan -- Julia F. Morton
Home Health-Care Guide (Jamaican and Medicinal Herbs) -- Winston and Ethel Monroe
Dr. Winklet Gallimore / Scientific Research Council - Jamaica
Dr. Sylvia Mitchell / University of the West Indies - BioTechnology Department