but I was able to knock it back from borderline with an hour of exercise a day, 5x/week, just walking or swimming mostly. Been working with a nutritionist. The other thing that helped a ton was 22 g of soluble fiber a day, veggies and stuff. Psyllium husk in oatmeal to get it all the way to 22 grams when veggies didn’t get there. Tracked w MyFitnessPal.
i googled the search terms diabetes, bitter melon and PubMed to get abstracts from peer reviewed journal articles on the NIH. Here’s one
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12625217/
Bitter melon (Momordica charantia): a review of efficacy and safety
Ethan Basch et al. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2003.
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Abstract
The pharmacology, clinical efficacy, adverse effects, drug interactions, and place in therapy of bitter melon are described. Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is an alternative therapy that has primarily been used for lowering blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes mellitus. Components of bitter melon extract appear to have structural similarities to animal insulin. Antiviral and antineoplastic activities have also been reported in vitro. Four clinical trials found bitter melon juice, fruit, and dried powder to have a moderate hypoglycemic effect. These studies were small and were not randomized or double-blind, however. Reported adverse effects of bitter melon include hypoglycemic coma and convulsions in children, reduced fertility in mice, a favism-like syndrome, increases in gamma-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase levels in animals, and headaches. Bitter melon may have additive effects when taken with other glucose-lowering agents. Adequately powered, randomized, placebo-controlled trials are needed to properly assess safety and efficacy before bitter melon can be routinely recommended. Bitter melon may have hypoglycemic effects, but data are not sufficient to recommend its use in the absence of careful supervision and monitoring.
Here’s another one
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4027280/
Antidiabetic effects of Momordica charantia (bitter melon) and its medicinal potency
Baby Joseph and D Jini
Additional article information
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is among the most common disorder in developed and developing countries, and the disease is increasing rapidly in most parts of the world. It has been estimated that up to one-third of patients with diabetes mellitus use some form of complementary and alternative medicine. One plant that has received the most attention for its anti-diabetic properties is bitter melon, Momordica charantia (M. charantia), commonly referred to as bitter gourd, karela and balsam pear. Its fruit is also used for the treatment of diabetes and related conditions amongst the indigenous populations of Asia, South America, India and East Africa. Abundant pre-clinical studies have documented in the anti-diabetic and hypoglycaemic effects of M. charantia through various postulated mechanisms. However, clinical trial data with human subjects are limited and flawed by poor study design and low statistical power. The present review is an attempt to highlight the antidiabetic activity as well as phytochemical and pharmacological reports on M. charantia and calls for better-designed clinical trials to further elucidate its possible therapeutic effects on diabetes.
Keywords: Momordica charantia, Hypoglycaemic agents, Diabetes, Bitter melon, Medicinal plant, Bioactive compounds, Insulin, Glucose metabolism
1. Introduction
Diabetes mellitus is considered as one of the five leading causes of death in the world[1]. Diabetes mellitus is a major global health concerning with a projected rise in prevalence from 171 million in 2000 to 366 million in 2030[2]. It is a syndrome of disordered metabolism, usually due to a combination of hereditary and environmental causes, resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia)[3]. Being a major degenerative disease, diabetes is found in all parts of the world and it is becoming the third most lethal disease of mankind and increasing rapidly[4]. It is the most common endocrine disorder, affecting 16 million individuals in the United States and as many as 200 million individuals worldwide. Diabetes has been a clinical model for general medicine[5]. Complementary and alternative medicine involves the use of herbs and other dietary supplements as alternatives to mainstream western medical treatment. A recent study has estimated that up to 30% of patients with diabetes mellitus use complementary and alternative medicine[6].
Medicinal plants and its products continue to be an important therapeutic aid for alleviating the ailments of human kind[7]–[9]. Herbs for diabetes treatment are not new. Since ancient times, plants and plant extracts were used to combat diabetes. Many traditional medicines in use are derived from medicinal plants, minerals and organic matter. The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed 21 000 plants, which are used for medicinal purposes around the world. Among them, 150 species are used commercially on a fairly large scale[1],[10].
Momordica charantia (M. charantia), also known as bitter melon, karela, balsam pear, or bitter gourd, is a popular plant used for the treating of diabetes-related conditions amongst the indigenous populations of Asia, South America, India, the Caribbean and East Africa[11],[12]. Its fruit has a distinguishing bitter taste, which is more pronounced as it ripens, hence the name bitter melon or bitter gourd. Biochemical and animal model experiments have produced abundant data and hypotheses accounting for the anti-diabetic effects of M. charantia. In comparison, clinical studies with human subjects are sparse and low quality in design.
Diabetes mellitus is well known clinical entity with various late complications like retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy, etc. Natural products are known to play an important role in pharmaceutical biology[13]. Specific plant knowledge may provide insight for strategic consumption and sustainable use. The alternate medicine system is now gaining momentum with the knowledge of active principles identified from plant species[14]. M. charantia has significant antidiabetic as well as hypolipidemic activity so that it can be used as an adjuvant along with allopathic treatment of medicine to treat diabetes as well as to delay the late complications of diabetes. In the present review, we have elucidated the possible antidiabetic activity of M. charantia and its medicinal potency responsible for the hypoglycemic activity.
There’s a lot more at the link or if you Google pubmed and bitter melon and diabetes. Good luck!
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