Evaluating Bitter Melon in Individuals with Diabetes

by | Jun 23, 2020 | 2020, Blood Sugar, Diabetes, Fruits and Vegetables, Pancreatic Health

Written by Jessica Patella, ND.  A three-month supplementation with bitter melon significantly lowered fasting blood sugar levels, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and triglycerides in participating subjects.

diabetesDiabetes is a major public health concern, with 10.5% of Americans suffering from the illness.  It also comes with a heavy cost of an estimated $327 billion per year in the United States, including both direct medical costs and reduced productivity 1.  The most commonly recommended treatments include diet regulation, exercise and a combination of oral drugs and insulin injections 2,3. On average the combination of oral medications and insulin injections can lower hemoglobin A1c (a long term measure of blood sugar levels) by 2.5% 2,4.

This recent research evaluated bitter melon, which traditionally has been known as a blood sugar-lowering agent. The research included 142 participants with diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes) that were randomly assigned to either the bitter melon group (n=64) or the control group (n=78).  Participants in the bitter melon group consumed 600 mg daily of a water extract of bitter melon in divided doses before lunch (300 mg capsule) and dinner (300 mg capsule), for 3 months.  All medications prescribed by the physicians for diabetes were kept constant in both groups 2.  The two main measures were fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c.  Fasting blood glucose was considered normal between 70-110 mg/dL before breakfast (126mg/dL indicates diabetes), hemoglobin A1c is 4-6% for a healthy person and when it is 6.5% or above it is considered diabetes.  Levels should be maintained at 7% for diabetic patients’ quality of life 2.

After 3 months the following results were observed:

  • In the bitter melon group fasting blood glucose decreased (136.8 +/- 63.5 mg/dL to 118.0 +/- 35.5 mg/dL; p=0.007).
  • In the bitter melon group hemoglobin A1c decreased (7.8 +/- 1.4% to 7.4 +/- 1.1%; p=0.000)
  • In the bitter melon group triglycerides also decreased (147.9 +/- 85.9 mg/dL to 114.7 +/- 64.8 mg/dL; p=0.000)
  • In the bitter melon group fasting glucose began to improve after one month, but did not reach normal levels until month 2 (120.3 +/- 32.2 mg/dL) and continued to improve in month 3 (118.0 +/- 35.8 mg/dL) for a total improvement of 13.7% over the 3 months.
  • There were no significant changes in the control group.

In conclusion, 600mg daily of a water extracted form of bitter melon can significantly improve blood glucose levels of diabetics.  Researchers stated that regulating blood glucose with bitter melon peptide capsules may be a potential adjunctive option 2. However, bitter melon is not recommended for pregnancy, lactation. liver disease, fertility medications and those prone to hypoglycemia. Future research could also include following participants after supplementation is stopped to determine the longer term effects, as well as investigating the mechanism of action 2.

Source: Hsu, Pang-Kuei, Frank FC Pan, and Ching-Sen Hsieh. “mcIRBP-19 of Bitter Melon Peptide Effectively Regulates Diabetes Mellitus (DM) Patients’ Blood Sugar Levels.” Nutrients 12, no. 5 (2020): 1252.

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Posted June 23, 2020.

Jessica Patella, ND, is a naturopathic physician specializing in nutrition and homeopathic medicine and offers a holistic approach to health. She earned her ND from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ, and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Visit her website at www.awarenesswellness.com.

References:

  1. American Diabetes Association. Statistics about Diabetes. 2018; http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/. Accessed June 8, 2020.
  2. Hsu PK, Pan FFC, Hsieh CS. mcIRBP-19 of Bitter Melon Peptide Effectively Regulates Diabetes Mellitus (DM) Patients’ Blood Sugar Levels. Nutrients. 2020;12(5).
  3. Brownlee M. The pathobiology of diabetic complications: a unifying mechanism. Diabetes. 2005;54(6):1615-1625.
  4. Avilés-Santa L, Sinding J, Raskin P. Effects of metformin in patients with poorly controlled, insulin-treated type 2 diabetes mellitus. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 1999;131(3):182-188.