Bitter melon and blood sugar
What 5 graded rows on bitter melon agree on for blood sugar, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Bitter melon page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Bitter melon page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
Bitter melon and blood sugar
5 rows · 1,662 peopleSplit. 3 rows found an improvement, 1 found no difference and 1 had mixed results.
- CGrade C× 2
- DGrade D× 3
- Rows
- 5
- Trials
- 22
- People
- 1,662
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
Where they differ
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade C, is a meta-analysis of 1,045 people (2019) and found an improvement.
The row that found no difference was larger: 414 people, against a median of 75 people for the 3 rows that found an improvement.
1 row with mixed results is left out of this comparison.
The rows
3 improved · 1 no difference · 1 mixed- CGrade CFasting glucose and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes (pooled trials) · Improved
Meta-analysis, 10 studies · n 1,045 · 2019 · Adults with type 2 diabetes, 4–16 weeks of follow-up
Varied across trials · 4–16 weeks
Versus placebo, fasting glucose fell 0.72 mmol/L, post-meal glucose 1.43 mmol/L and HbA1c 0.26 percentage points. The authors rated the evidence low to very low quality.
Row on the Bitter melon page · PubMed 30385422 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DBlood glucose in prediabetes (bitter melon extract) · Improved
RCT · n 75 · 2025 · Adults with prediabetes (75 randomized to two doses or placebo)
300 or 600 mg/day · 12 weeks
Blood glucose rose less with 600 mg (1.05%) and 300 mg (3.35%) than with placebo (11.0%) at week 12 (p < 0.05). HbA1c fell more with 600 mg only in a subgroup at or above the median age. Products were well tolerated.
Row on the Bitter melon page · PubMed 39536276 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DFasting glucose and insulin resistance in prediabetes (freeze-dried fruit) · Improved
RCT · n 38 · 2025 · Adults with prediabetes
3.6 g/day · 12 weeks
Fasting glucose and HOMA-IR improved versus control (P=0.026 and P=0.045). A separate 4-week crossover with 2.4 g/day freeze-dried juice in 30 people found no difference.
Row on the Bitter melon page · PubMed 40199408 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CFasting glucose, HbA1c, lipids and blood pressure (placebo-controlled trials) · No difference
Meta-analysis, 9 studies · n 414 · 2023 · Adults in trials of metabolic syndrome measures
Varied across trials · 4–16 weeks
No significant effect versus placebo on fasting glucose (−0.03 mmol/L), HbA1c (−0.12 points), LDL, HDL, total cholesterol, weight or blood pressure. Liver and kidney markers did not change.
Row on the Bitter melon page · PubMed 38274207 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DHbA1c and fasting glucose in type 2 diabetes (bitter melon extract) · Mixed
RCT · n 90 · 2020 · Adults with type 2 diabetes (bitter melon as add-on treatment)
Dose not stated in the abstract · 12 weeks
HbA1c did not change in either group; fasting glucose fell within the bitter melon group (P=0.014). No serious adverse events.
Row on the Bitter melon page · PubMed 32951763 (opens PubMed)