Bitter Melon and type 2 diabetes

[sustento]

Anyone else taking bitter melon? I've searched the forum but can find nothing.

I started taking 500mg bitter melon capsules twice a day a couple of weeks ago. My morning fasting BG is usually around the 6.3 to 6.5 mark. This morning it was 4.9!

Just eaten a pork chop with mixed veggies (no taters though) and 1 hour pp BG was 6.1

I think it may be worth your personal investigation folks. I'm hugely impressed.

[Jingthing]

I'm not diabetic, but it's amazing stuff and I'm sure it has medical effects. I made some for dinner. Bitterly delicious.

[mr.buffalo]

Hi susento, can you tell me the shop name of these pills please? Do you buy them in Thailand ( I am in UK at the moment but will be spending a considerable amount of time in Thailand in a few months ) and do you know if I can get some in the UK? Thanks.

[Jingthing]

They are very easy to find in Thailand, at many pharmacies and of course herbal specialty shops. Not costly.

[chiang mai]

Only the lack of a large scale formal study stands in the way of bitter melon being labelled as an alternate to metaformin which is really excellent news:

"bitter melon has also long been used as a herbal remedy for a range of ailments, including type 2 diabetes.".

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/natural-therapies/bitter-melon.html

Happy to hear that you've got positive results from it but you might want to consider checking your liver profile after one or two months, ALT levels in particular. Quite often supplements place a heavy load on the liver so there might be a trade off decision to be made, that was certainly the case with me when I tried to take Alpha Lipoic Acid supplements for the same purpose, I decided the trade off wasn't worth it and focused on a dietary cure instead. I have no reason to believe that bitter melon does affect the liver negatively, it's just a check that might be useful.

[mr.buffalo]

Anybody know where to get them and marketing name in the UK as I am not in Thailand yet?

[sustento]

Hi susento, can you tell me the shop name of these pills please? Do you buy them in Thailand ( I am in UK at the moment but will be spending a considerable amount of time in Thailand in a few months ) and do you know if I can get some in the UK? Thanks.

I'm in the UK. I'm taking Swanson Full Spectrum Bitter Melon. The cheapest way I've found is to buy them in 2 bottle pairs directly from Swanson in Europe but I do have a credit card that doesn't charge me for buying in Euros. They are available from Amazon and Ebay in the UK. A bottle of 60 lasts 30 days.

http://swansoneurope.com/en/full-spectrum-bitter-melon.html

Edited January 16, 2014 by sustento

[ToddWeston]

Great information Susteno, thank you.

Are you going to incorporate raw or cooked bitter melon into your diet ?

[robblok]

I have incorporated it in my juices. They are now a steady part of my juices after Todd shown its properties.

[sustento]

Great information Susteno, thank you.

Are you going to incorporate raw or cooked bitter melon into your diet ?

I'm in the UK and it's not particularly easy to get so I shall stick to the pills for the time being.

[Jingthing]

The stuff is so powerful I think it deserves similar caution as medication.

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[robblok]

stuff is so powerful I think it deserves similar caution as medication.

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Shall I call an ambulance for myself.. i just added 1/3 of a bitter melon say 15 cm of it to my juices.

Just teasing JT.

Edited January 17, 2014 by robblok

[AyG]

stuff is so powerful I think it deserves similar caution as medication.

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Shall I call an ambulance for myself.. i just added 1/3 of a bitter melon say 15 cm of it to my juices.

Just teasing JT.

There have been cases of deaths from drinking the juice. Reportedly, if the juice tastes much more bitter than usual, that's a warning sign, so don't drink it.

[robblok]

stuff is so powerful I think it deserves similar caution as medication.

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Shall I call an ambulance for myself.. i just added 1/3 of a bitter melon say 15 cm of it to my juices.

Just teasing JT.

There have been cases of deaths from drinking the juice. Reportedly, if the juice tastes much more bitter than usual, that's a warning sign, so don't drink it.

I will have to risk it as i doubt the juice would influence the taste of the rest of the brew. (garlic / ginger / limes / beet root / cucumber / tomato / pak com (green leafy vegetable) / carrot / and then of course the bitter melon ( 1/3 of one). I just swallow it can't say it tastes good but did not taste different when i started adding the bitter melon.

[chiang mai]

Whatever are you feeding yourself RL, your certifiable!

[robblok]

Whatever are you feeding yourself RL, your certifiable!

Probably.. I never cared much if something did not taste good (if vegetables and such) I cared for the benefits. (i have limits of course)

But since I have been juicing my energy has gone up .. so there are some benefits to be had.. could be placebo of course and did take a week or so to start noticing it.

[ToddWeston]

The deaths reported in India were from combining the gourd leaves which had turned orange & hence toxic.

I've tasted the green leaves and IMO there isn't much that could mask that flavour, it's simply awful.

[Jingthing]

This is more what I was talking about. Anyway this seems to quite an informative site about the glorious bitter melon in general. My main interest is culinary but I try to eat some twice a week for potential health benefits as well. When I eat a large portion, which I think I can safely, I definitely FEEL it.

http://www.bitter-gourd.org/health-benefits/

More bitter gourd does not help more. Please be careful!

Exclusive consumption of bitter gourd, bitter gourd juice, or other bitter gourd products can lead to dangerous hypoglycemia when consumed by diabetic patients under oral drug treatment, in too high dosages, by children, or on a hungry stomach. Pregnant or breastfeeding woman should not consume bitter gourd or bitter gourd products. Although bitter gourd can help prevent insulin resistance or severe diabetic complications, it is important to consider situations in which bitter gourd may be harmful to your health.

[robblok]

The deaths reported in India were from combining the gourd leaves which had turned orange & hence toxic.

I've tasted the green leaves and IMO there isn't much that could mask that flavour, it's simply awful.

Thanks for clearing that up.. i am nursing yet an other wound from my ceramic knives while cutting veggies. Stupid me. Again part of my finger tips.. i hate it as it slows my typing (thus my work) down. Not painful just bloody. Must take better care but i seem to do stupid things once in a while.