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Bitter melon

Supplement botanical general nutrition
Aka: Momordica charantia, karela, ku gua
Brands seen in Singapore: Swanson Vitamins, Himalaya, Nutricost, Jarrow Formulas, Solaray
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
A kitchen vegetable; supplement effect on glucose unclear
Pros & cons
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
Sources
  1. NIH NIDDK LiverTox — Bitter Melon, Background · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The fruit, although quite bitter, can be eaten raw but more frequently is used in cooking or in preparing teas.”
  2. NIH NIDDK LiverTox — Bitter Melon, placebo-controlled trial results · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “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.”
  3. NIH NIDDK LiverTox — Bitter Melon, typical dose · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The typical recommended dose is 500 to 1000 mg taken in two to three times daily.”
  4. NIH NIDDK LiverTox — Bitter Melon, side effects · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “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.”
  5. NIH NIDDK LiverTox — Bitter Melon, pregnancy warning · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Bitter melon is a potential abortifacient and should not be used in pregnancy or in women of childbearing age not using effective contraception.”
  6. NIH NIDDK LiverTox — Bitter Melon, hepatotoxicity and likelihood score · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “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).”
  7. 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) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “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”
  8. Laczkó-Zöld et al. 2023 — safety signal and stated limits · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “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”
  9. 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) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “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.”
  10. iHerb Singapore — Bitter Melon category page, default (best-selling) order; no Singapore shipping-restriction notice shown · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “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”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.