Does bitter melon work for diabetes

Condition analysis:
Bitter melon, also known as balsam pear, is a tropical vegetable widely cultivated in Asia, Africa and South America, and has been used extensively in folk medicine as a remedy for diabetes. The blood sugar lowering action of the fresh juice or extract of the unripe fruit has been clearly established in both experimental and clinical studies.

Bitter melon is composed of several compounds with confirmed anti-diabetic properties. Charantin, extracted by alcohol, is a hypoglycaemic agent composed of mixed steroids that is more potent than the drug tolbutamide which is often used in the treatment of diabetes. Momordica also contains an insulin-like polypeptide, polypeptide-P, which lowers blood sugar levels when injected subcutaneously into type 1 diabetic patients. The oral administration of 50-60 ml of the juice has shown good results in clinical trials.

Excessively high doses of bitter melon juice can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea. Small children or anyone with hypoglycemia should not take bitter melon, since this herb could theoretically trigger or worsen low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia. Furthermore, diabetics taking hypoglycemic drugs (such as chlorpropamide, glyburide, or phenformin) or insulin should use bitter melon with caution, as it may potentiate the effectiveness of the drugs, leading to severe hypoglycemia.

Instructions:
How Chromium Works for Diabetes
Chromium and a nutrient called nicotinic acid (a form of niacin) are essential components of the glucose tolerance factor (GTF), which regulates the actions of insulin in the human body. When you eat food, your blood glucose levels rise significantly. If your cells are resistant to insulin, they can't accept glucose. And if glucose can't get into your cells to produce energy, the blood sugar will be stored in your body as fat. Chromium appears able to combat cellular insulin resistance, enabling your cells to use the glucose you produce from food.