Bitter Melon Holds Its Own Against Diabetes Drug
Bitter melon is an exciting herb for treating diabetes. It contains a component that has been shown to reduce blood sugar like insulin but without any of insulin’s side effects. At least two previous studies have shown that bitter melon improves type 2 diabetes (J Ethnopharmacol 1986;17:277-82; Phytother Res 1993;7:285-9). And now a new study has compared this promising herb to a drug. . . .
This double-blind study compared different doses of bitter melon to the diabetes drug glibenclamide in ninety people with type 2 diabetes.
4g a day of bitter melon and 2.5g a day of glibenclamide both significantly decreased HbA1c: there was no significant difference between the two. Matching the drug for HbA1c is an important accomplishment for bitter melon because HbA1c is the most important marker of long term blood sugar and diabetes control.
Fasting plasma glucose decreased sigificantly in both groups, but the decrease was greater in the herb group. After an oral glucose tolerance test, plasma glucose levels went down significanlty only in the drug group.
Heart disease is an important complication of diabetes, so treatments that address both blood sugar and cardiovascular issues are important. Plasma sialic acid is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes. And it decreased significantly in the bitter melon group while increasing in the drug group.
And that wasn’t the only cardiovascular benefit of the herb. Total cholesterol went down slightly in the bitter melon group, but increased slightly in the drug group. The dangerous LDL cholesterol dropped significantly only in the bitter melon group, and while the heart healthy HDL cholesterol went up slightly in the bitter melon group, it went down slightly in the glibenclamide group. Bitter melon also significantly lowered triglycerides. And systolic blood pressure dropped significantly in the herb group but not in the drug group. Body weight also improved in the herb group while worsening in the drug group.
This important study shows that the herb bitter melon has significant blood sugar and cardiovascular benefits for people with type 2 diabetes.
Nutr J 2015;14:13