Compound or practice · Supplement
Bitter Melon
A traditional anti-diabetic gourd with inconsistent trials and a real hypoglycemia caution.
- Overall grade
- Grade C
- Last revised
- 1
- graded outcome
- 0
- references listed
A structured monograph in Prometheus's bundled library. Its grades are the monograph's own reading of the evidence, not a peer-reviewed review.
2 at grade C — 2 graded rows
What is known
Each outcome with its grade (how strong the evidence is, A to D), the size of the effect where the entry records one, and how often studies agree.
- Blood glucoseEvidence grade C
Mixed trials
Smalllow
Conditions
How the entry reads its effect on diagnosed conditions: the direction first, then the grade. Never a substitute for the person who treats you.
- Type 2 diabetes May improveEvidence grade CInconsistentGrade C
What is uncertain
Read off the same rows as above. Nothing here is added that the entry does not itself record.
- Thin evidence: Blood glucose (grade C).
- Caution with Metformin: Additive glucose lowering — hypoglycemia risk.
Interactions
Documented pairings with supplements and medicines. A medicine on this list is a conversation for whoever prescribes it.
MetforminCaution
Additive glucose lowering — hypoglycemia risk.
The evidence in words
What it is
Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is a vegetable/extract used widely for blood sugar.
How it works
Contains insulin-like and AMPK-activating compounds affecting glucose uptake.
What the evidence shows
Trials are mixed — some show modest glucose lowering, others null; heterogeneity is high. It can cause hypoglycemia, especially combined with diabetes drugs, and is unsafe in pregnancy.
How to use it
Standardized extract or juice; monitor glucose closely.
Safety & interactions
Hypoglycemia risk; avoid in pregnancy (traditional abortifacient). metformin — Additive glucose lowering — hypoglycemia risk.
Bottom line
Inconsistent glucose effects and real hypoglycemia risk. Only with monitoring; never in pregnancy.
How it is used
As the entry records it, from the studies it summarises. Not a recommendation for you — doses that suit a trial population may not suit you.
- Standard
- Standardized extract; monitor glucose.
Related reading
Entries that share this one's tags or conditions.
- CinnamonA modest, inconsistent glucose helper — and a reminder that cassia cinnamon's coumarin can stress the liver at high doses.Evidence grade C
- Alpha-Lipoic AcidAn antioxidant with genuine evidence for diabetic neuropathy symptoms and modest insulin-sensitivity effects.Evidence grade B
- Apple Cider VinegarThe acetic acid modestly blunts post-meal glucose — small, real, and easy to overhype.Evidence grade C
- Banaba (Corosolic Acid)A glucose-lowering leaf whose corosolic acid shows small post-meal effects in limited trials.Evidence grade C
Sources
This entry lists no references of its own.
Last revised . A grade is this entry's reading of the evidence, not medical advice.