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Based on research that’s available at this time, bitter melon is meant to be used in conjunction with other preventive measures (like eating a healthy diet and exercising to control inflammation), along with conventional treatments when necessary. Here are some possible side effects and precautions to consider before using bitter melon products:
- While this melon has proven hypoglycemic effects, available scientific data is not sufficient to recommend its use for treating diabetes without careful supervision and monitoring. The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center concludes that bitter melon “cannot be recommended as a replacement therapy for insulin or hypoglycemic drugs” at this time, so if you’re pre-diabetic or diabetic, it’s best to talk to your doctor about using bitter melon extract in addition to your current treatment plan. Because bitter melon lowers blood sugar, it can interact with medications for diabetes. If you take diabetes medications keep in mind it might lower your blood sugar too much, and therefore monitoring is recommended.
- Pregnant women, those who are trying to become pregnant, and women who are breastfeeding should not consume bitter melon, since research shows that it has some abortifacient properties (those that can cause miscarriages), can cause menstrual bleeding, and has certain anti-fertility capabilities.
- If you’ve recently undergone surgery, have been fasting, or lost substantial blood for another reason, bitter melon should be avoided, since it can interfere with blood sugar control and cause side effects like dizziness or fainting. *
