I cut and pasted from the natural database site, just the basics. This is a medical databae and they are talking about the extracted medical dose not the unprocessed fruit. Probably more than you wanted to know. Human useage: Orally, bitter melon is used to treat diabetes, psoriasis, gastrointestinal upset, ulcers, colitis, constipation, intestinal worms, urinary tract stones (kidney stones), fever, and hepatic disease. It is also used orally to induce menstruation and as supportive therapy for patients with AIDS/HIV. Topically, bitter melon is used for skin abscesses and wounds, and anorectal herpes lesions. Safety ...when used orally and appropriately, short-term. Extracts of bitter melon fruit appear to be safe for up to 3 months There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of bitter melon when used topically. PREGNANCY: LIKELY UNSAFE ...when used orally. Proteins from bitter melon fruit and juice can stimulate menstruation and have caused abortion in animals LACTATION: Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using Adverse reactions: Orally, bitter melon is well-tolerated at a dose of 1 gram three times daily (extract dose) for several weeks. In some patients it can cause diarrhea, gastrointestinal upset, and epigastric pain. Ingestion of the seeds has been associated with headaches. Two cases of hypoglycemic coma and seizures have occurred in children after drinking bitter melon tea. Elevated liver function tests have been reported in animal studies, but the clinical significance is unknown. Interaction with dieseas: DIABETES: Bitter melon can lower blood glucose levels and might have additive effects when used with antidiabetes drugs. This might increase the risk of hypoglycemia in some patients. Monitor blood glucose levels closely. GLUCOSE-6-PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE (G6PD) DEFICIENCY: People with G6PD deficiency are at risk for developing favism after ingesting bitter melon seeds. Vicine found in the seeds is related to constituents of fava beans. Favism is characterized by hemolytic anemia, headache, fever, stomach pain, and coma. Advise these patients to avoid bitter melon. SURGERY: Bitter melon might affect blood glucose levels. Theoretically, bitter melon might interfere with blood glucose control during and after surgical procedures. Tell patients to discontinue bitter melon at least 2 weeks before elective surgical procedures.

Like most tropical gourds, bitter melon seeds (Momordica charantia) take 7-14 days to germinate, and germination can be very erratic; so plant perhaps twice as many seeds as you need. Nicking the seed coat helps. I start seeds in peat pots (to minimize planting shock) indoors, 2 weeks prior to the recommended planting date for soybeans (or melons). Transplant them outdoors (or move to a coldframe) _promptly_ after germination, they become leggy quickly. I have been growing a bitter melon variety once carried by Evergreen Y.H. as just "Thailand" (no longer carried). It is a smaller variety, semi-wild, best suited to pickling immature. First harvest for me in Zone 5 has been ~70 days, and leaving one per plant to mature for seed has no effect on yield. At 2 foot spacing, the vines will completely cover a 6 foot trellis by the end of summer. Bitter melon has a vigorous root system, so planting in pots may stunt it somewhat... but as long as you keep the plants moist & fertilized (a mulch on top will help), you should get several per plant. I recommend one plant per 5 gal. container, with a minimum of 2 plants (for better pollination). I may experiment with this myself ;-)

http://www.evergreenseeds.com/anluexlo.html Angled luffa can be found pretty easily online. I believe this is probably the strain that I have, and they don't seem to ever get bitter unless they get over 30 inches in length for me. Each plant also produces about 200 fruits per year so you don't have to plant that many. You just have to plant early up north due to a cooler season. Here's a picture of one of mine from a couple days ago.

Hi - I get about 95% germination rate. I bought my seeds from amazon (see link) and then save my seeds every year for the next year. Once the bitter melon becomes orange/red and dies, the seeds are ready to be saved. Here is a link that might be useful: Buy Bitter Melon seeds