Type 2 Diabetes – Is Bitter Melon Helpful in Lowering Blood Sugar?

Type 2 Diabetes – Is Bitter Melon Helpful in Lowering Blood Sugar?

When you're dealing with type 2 diabetes, diet and exercise are the two most important areas to focus on in your journey to lower your blood sugar. Many changes need to be made in your lifestyle, especially in what you eat. One of the options you may come across when looking for helpful foods for diabetes is bitter melon. Not only is it known for its distinctive taste and appearance, but it can also have positive effects on your health.

Bitter melon is a plantcommonly grown in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. Bitter melon originally comes from India and was introduced to China in the 14th century. It looks similar to cucumbers with rough and wrinkled skin. Other names for the fruit are...

• bitter gourd,

• bitter apple,

• balsam apple,

• bitter gourd,

• African cucumber,

• Balsam pear and

• Karela (in India).

It will interest you to know that bitter melon is commonly found in traditional medicines used to treat various diseases. One of them is type 2 diabetes.

The effects of bitter melon.It is known to increase weight loss and help control blood sugar. Studies have shown that bitter melon may be useful in improving glucose intolerance. And this is closely related to the type of chemicals present in the plant. These chemicals are similar to insulin in how they work. Not only do they help push more sugar into cells, but they also help suppress the conversion of other stored nutrients into sugar.

The result of a study conducted on a group of people with type 2 diabetes also suggests that bitter lemon could help reduce hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels.

How to use.Bitter melon is available as a supplement in capsule form, but there is still no concrete evidence of its effectiveness in people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Some factors may come into play, e.g. B. Your general health, your age and whether you have another medical condition.

If you choose bitter melon, be sure to follow the instructions on the product packaging. It's also a good idea to check with your doctor before taking it. Although the supplements appear to be safe, you don't want to find that they don't interact with your prescribed medications.

In addition to the supplement form, you can also try the fruit, flower, juice or tea form depending on your preference. The plant/fruit is commonly found in an Asian or African grocery store. If you're like many people who want to cook the fruit, remove the seeds before cooking them.

Inspired by Beverleigh H Piepers