{"ok":true,"entry":{"slug":"bitter-melon","kind":"supplement","name":"bitter melon","aliases":["Momordica charantia","karela","ku gua"],"brands_sg":["Swanson Vitamins","Himalaya","Nutricost","Jarrow Formulas","Solaray"],"class":"botanical","tags":["general"],"use_for":"a kitchen vegetable; supplement effect on glucose unclear","use_after":null,"use_duration":null,"take_with":null,"pros":["the fruit is a food, eaten raw, cooked or as tea","no published reports of liver injury from extracts","meta-analysis: no change in alt, ast or creatinine"],"cons":["meta-analysis: no effect over placebo on glucose","rarely: severe hypoglycaemia, coma and seizures","potential abortifacient — not for use in pregnancy"],"dose_note":"livertox reports a typical recommended dose of 500 to 1000 mg taken two to three times daily for bitter melon extracts; the 2023 meta-analysis of 9 randomised trials in 414 people found no significant effect over placebo on fasting glucose or hba1c at 4 to 16 weeks — as directed on the label or by your pharmacist or doctor","dosage":{"ul":null,"unit":"mg","fda_dv":null,"rda_ai":null,"ul_status":"none_established","population":"general adult","hsa_max_daily":null},"ul_status":"none_established","sg_class":null,"cautions":["pregnancy — livertox: a potential abortifacient, not for use then","childbearing age without effective contraception — same warning","on glucose-lowering treatment — hypoglycaemia is a listed effect","the fruit as food differs from concentrated extract capsules"],"clashes":[],"sources":[{"id":"livertox_bm","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK590483/","label":"NIH NIDDK LiverTox — Bitter Melon, Background","quote":"The fruit, although quite bitter, can be eaten raw but more frequently is used in cooking or in preparing teas.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"livertox_bm_trials","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK590483/","label":"NIH NIDDK LiverTox — Bitter Melon, placebo-controlled trial results","quote":"In placebo controlled clinical trials in patients with diabetes or glucose intolerance, bitter melon extracts have had only a modest effect on serum glucose levels and little or no effect on fasting plasma glucose or hemoglobin A1c levels.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"livertox_bm_dose","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK590483/","label":"NIH NIDDK LiverTox — Bitter Melon, typical dose","quote":"The typical recommended dose is 500 to 1000 mg taken in two to three times daily.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"livertox_bm_ae","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK590483/","label":"NIH NIDDK LiverTox — Bitter Melon, side effects","quote":"side effects can include abdominal discomfort, heartburn, constipation or diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, headache and hypoglycemia. Rare but potentially severe adverse effects include severe hypoglycemia, coma and seizures.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"livertox_bm_preg","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK590483/","label":"NIH NIDDK LiverTox — Bitter Melon, pregnancy warning","quote":"Bitter melon is a potential abortifacient and should not be used in pregnancy or in women of childbearing age not using effective contraception.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"livertox_bm_score","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK590483/","label":"NIH NIDDK LiverTox — Bitter Melon, hepatotoxicity and likelihood score","quote":"Despite wide-spread use, there have been no published reports of serum enzyme elevations or clinically apparent liver injury attributable to bitter melon extracts. Likelihood score : E (unlikely cause of clinically apparent liver injury).","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"laczko2023","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/MED/38274207","label":"The metabolic effect of Momordica charantia cannot be determined based on the available clinical evidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (Laczkó-Zöld et al., Front Nutr 2023)","quote":"no significant effect could be observed for bitter melon treatment over placebo on fasting blood glucose level … HbA1c level … body weight … BMI … systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure levels","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"laczko2023_limits","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/MED/38274207","label":"Laczkó-Zöld et al. 2023 — safety signal and stated limits","quote":"Momordica treatment was not associated with a notable change in ALT, AST, and creatinine levels compared to the placebo, which supports the safety of this plant. However, the power was overall low and the meta-analyzed studies were also too short","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"hsa_prohibited_2025","url":"https://file.go.gov.sg/hsa-chp-prohibited-restricted-ing-guidelines.pdf","label":"HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev. No. 001 (Oct 2025) — bitter melon / Momordica charantia / karela / ku gua not listed in Annex A or B (PDF full text searched)","quote":"The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"iherb_sg","url":"https://sg.iherb.com/c/bitter-melon","label":"iHerb Singapore — Bitter Melon category page, default (best-selling) order; no Singapore shipping-restriction notice shown","quote":"Swanson Vitamins, Full Spectrum Bitter Melon, 500 mg … Himalaya, Organic Bitter Melon, 60 Caplets … Nutricost, Bitter Melon, 180 Capsules (600 mg per Capsule) … Jarrow Formulas, Vegan Wild Bitter Melon Extract … Solaray, Vital Extracts, Bitter Melon","accessed":"2026-08-27"}],"brand_certs":null,"updated_at":"2026-08-29T16:16:12.75901+08:00"},"disclaimer":"kozen-x is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. it lists what published sources have written down. absence of a record is not the same as safe."}