Does drinking bitter melon juice every day really help lower blood sugar?

Bitter melon contains plant compounds that have blood sugar-lowering effects. Therefore, drinking bitter melon juice is considered a measure to support blood sugar control for people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Bitter melon has the effect of reducing blood sugar for many reasons. The first reason to mention is that bitter melon contains compounds such as charantin and polypeptide-P that can stimulate β cells in the pancreas to increase insulin secretion, thereby increasing the ability to absorb glucose in the blood into muscle cells and liver, according to the health website Healthline (USA).

Many nutrients in bitter melon have the effect of reducing blood sugar.

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In addition, some components in bitter melon have the ability to inhibit digestive enzymes such as α-glucosidase/DPP-4, slowing down the absorption of starch into the intestine, thereby helping to lower blood sugar after meals. Some research evidence also shows that bitter melon also contains nutrients that reduce the process of self-glucose production in the liver and increase glucose metabolism in muscle tissue.

Bitter melon is safe for health when used as food. Bitter melon is often used to make soup, such as bitter melon stuffed with meat, bitter melon egg soup or bitter melon and catfish soup. In addition, bitter melon can also be stir-fried, made into salads or fried or steamed.

Notes when using bitter melon extract or capsule form

However, if you use bitter melon in concentrated form such as juice, extract or capsule, you may face the risk of overdose if you abuse it. In that case, users need to pay attention to some issues.

First is the risk of excessive hypoglycemia when combining hypoglycemic drugs with bitter melon juice, extract or capsules. Therefore, diabetics need to monitor blood sugar closely if they want to use the combination.

Pregnant women should avoid bitter melon, especially concentrated forms; it is best to consult a doctor before using bitter melon.

How to make bitter melon juice without losing nutrients

To make bitter melon juice, you need to prepare 2-3 fresh bitter melons. Prioritize choosing young green fruits with few seeds. In addition to bitter melon, you need to prepare 100-150 ml of filtered water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. If you want to add more flavor, you can add lemon, honey, apple, pineapple or cucumber. These ingredients will neutralize the bitter taste of bitter melon.

Wash the bitter melon and cut it lengthwise, removing the seeds and white pulp as this is what makes the juice very bitter. Rinse the bitter melon with salt water to reduce the bitterness. Cut the bitter melon into thin slices, then soak in salt water or ice water for 10 minutes to further reduce the bitterness without losing nutrients.

Once prepared, put the bitter melon and water into a juicer or blender. If using a blender, filter it through a sieve or clean cloth to get the juice. It should be consumed within 15-20 minutes of preparation because the nutrients in bitter melon, especially charantin, are easily oxidized, according to Healthline .

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/uong-nuoc-ep-kho-qua-hang-ngay-co-that-su-giup-ha-duong-huyet-185251019110904642.htm