Bitter melon: benefits, dosage, contraindications
Other name(s)
Bitter gourd, kugua, Karela
Scientific name(s)
Momordica charantia
Family or group:
Plants
Active ingredients:
Alkaloids
Sterols
Indications
Scoring methodology
EFSA approval.
Type 2 diabetes ✪✪✪✪✪
Bitter melon shows promising effects in preventing and slowing diabetes complications in animal studies. Different preparations have been studied for their hypoglycemic activity, but sample sizes are small and the statistical analyses are unclear. A Cochrane systematic review including four randomized controlled trials did not find a significant improvement in blood glucose with bitter melon compared with placebo. Another trial showed a significant reduction in fructosamine level with bitter melon at 2000 mg/day. Fructosamine is an indicator of glycemic control that reflects the average blood glucose over the previous 2 to 3 weeks. It is formed by the reaction between glucose and plasma proteins, mainly albumin. A more recent meta-analysis of bitter melon in patients with type 2 diabetes showed reductions in fasting and postprandial glucose as well as a slight decrease in HbA1c with doses of 0.5 to 12 g per day. However, study results are variable and depend on the bitter melon formulation used, study size, and duration. Overall, some preliminary research suggests improvements in glucose tolerance and insulin secretion, but other studies have not confirmed a significant improvement compared with placebo.
Posologie
By mouth: fruit
500 - 2000 mg
12 - weeks
dry extract
Hypoglycemic efficacy and safety of Momordica charantia (bitter melon) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Lower hypoglycemic but higher antiatherogenic effects of bitter melon than glibenclamide in type 2 diabetic patients
Momordica charantia L. lowers elevated glycaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Metabolic syndrome ✪✪✪✪✪
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions including abdominal obesity (measured by waist circumference), an abnormal lipid profile, high blood pressure, and elevated blood glucose. These factors are closely linked because they reflect insulin resistance and an inflammatory state that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Studies on bitter melon show mixed results regarding its impact on obesity, lipid profile, and blood glucose. In a pilot study, 24 obese patients were randomized to receive either 2000 mg/day of bitter melon (Momordica charantia) or a placebo for 12 weeks. Although reductions in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and body fat percentage were observed in the bitter melon group, these differences did not reach statistical significance. Nevertheless, a significant decrease in triglyceride levels was found, suggesting a beneficial effect on the lipid profile. Another study in prediabetic adults found a decrease in blood glucose after taking 800 mg of bitter melon three times daily for 12 weeks, without affecting insulin levels or other indicators of insulin resistance. These results suggest a potential effect of bitter melon on certain aspects of metabolic syndrome, although further research is needed to confirm these effects.
Posologie
Oral: fruit
2000 mg
12 - weeks
dry extract
Acute effects of a beverage containing bitter melon extract (CARELA) on postprandial glycemia among prediabetic adults
Effect of Momordica charantia Administration on Anthropometric Measures and Metabolic Profile in Patients with Obesity: A Pilot Clinical Trial
Sports performance ✪✪✪✪✪
Studies on bitter melon extract in athletes, particularly tennis players, have shown notable benefits for physical fitness and stress management. In addition to improving balance, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory capacity, the extract helps reduce levels of stress hormones such as ACTH, which plays a key role in the body's response to stress. These findings suggest that bitter melon may help athletes improve their performance and better resist fatigue, especially during intense training in hot conditions. 100 ml of bitter melon extract, taken six times a day for four weeks, were consumed.
Posologie
Oral administration: fruit
600 mL
liquid extract
Possible adaptogenic effects of Momordica charantia on high-intensity training-induced alteration in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
Properties
Hypoglycemic
Bitter melon has been the subject of more than 140 studies exploring its antidiabetic potential, notably due to its hypoglycemic activity in animal and human models. All parts of the plant have shown efficacy, with a well-established hypoglycemic activity that could stimulate insulin secretion, improve peripheral glucose uptake, and enhance insulin sensitivity. Mechanisms such as protection of pancreatic beta cells and effects on various enzymes and biochemical processes related to glucose metabolism have been identified.
Usages associés
Hypolipidemic
Studies in normal and diabetic animals have shown that bitter melon fruit extract, its flavonoids, or a methanolic fraction of the plant possess hypolipidemic activity. These studies typically report a decrease in triglyceride and LDL (the bad cholesterol) levels and an increase in HDL (the good cholesterol).
Hepatoprotective
Bitter melon may offer liver protection through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In animal studies, improvement in liver enzymes has been observed following damage induced by carbon tetrachloride or ammonium chloride, as well as an increase in antioxidant levels. In addition, bitter melon may downregulate factors contributing to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In vitro studies suggest that karaviloside III and other compounds from bitter melon inhibit the development of hepatic fibrosis and have activity against liver cancer cell lines.
Metabolic
In animals with diet-induced obesity, bitter melon can reduce body weight by increasing fatty acid oxidation. Polysaccharides from fermented bitter melon juice decrease body weight in rats fed a high-fat diet, which is associated with a reduction in the size of fat cells in adipose tissue. Furthermore, bitter melon increases the activity of the enzyme carnitine palmitoyltransferase I, which transports fatty acids into mitochondria, and stimulates the expression of regulators of lipid oxidation, suggesting an effect on energy expenditure.
Usages associés
Safe dosage
Adult: 500 mg - 2000 mg (dry extract)
Bitter melon has been used at doses of 0.5 to 2 g per day for periods of up to 16 weeks. Juice: 50 to 600 ml per day.
Interactions
Médicaments
Antidiabetic: low interaction
Bitter melon can lower blood glucose levels and may increase the effect of antidiabetic medications, which raises the risk of hypoglycemia in some patients. It is important to closely monitor blood glucose levels.
Precautions
Breastfeeding: avoid
Insufficient data.
Contraindications
Pregnancy: prohibited
Oral use of bitter melon is potentially dangerous during pregnancy. Animal studies have shown that certain proteins extracted from the raw fruit have abortifacient properties.
