Bitter Melon for Diabetes

Bitter melon is cultivated in both India and China and in Asian immigrant communities around the world for food and medicinal uses. The medicinal properties of the plant are recorded in the Ben Cao Gang Mu, an ancient Chinese medical text. Traditional Asian medicine uses the juice of this bumpy gourd to treat colic, diabetes, and gout. Contemporary scientific testing with laboratory animals finds that a diet that is 1.5 percent bitter melon (the equivalent of a serving a day) reduces weight gain on high-fat diets by about 25 percent, reduces leptin levels by about 50 percent, and drastically reduces insulin levels.

The juice is also well documented for its ability to lower blood sugar levels, but since it lowers insulin levels rather than raising them, scientists believe that its effects are due to its changes in fat metabolism.

Bitter melon does not imitate insulin. Neither does it reduce the amount of fat absorbed into the bloodstream. It increases it. But at least in laboratory experiments with animals, the juice cancels out the effects of high fatty acid levels in the bloodstream so that they do not cause insulin resistance. It causes fat cells to use energy inefficiently so less fat is stored. Even though the melon juice lowers insulin levels and raises free fatty acid levels, the results of using juice on a regular basis are lower blood sugars, lower triglycerides, and lower weight.

Bitter melon is available in most Asian markets. When you buy the fresh product, look for one that is pale green or yellow (orange ones are too old). Slice the unpeeled fruit lengthwise, remove the seeds, cut it into thin slices, and steam or boil them until the fruit is tender enough to cut with the edge of a spoon.