Bitter Melon Intake Versus Exercise For Postprandial Glucose Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Although exercise has been shown as effective in lowering postprandial hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes, alternative approaches for those patients who face substantial barriers to physical activity remain less explored. PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to compare the effects of bitter melon intake versus exercise on postprandial glucose responses in type 2 diabetic patients who receive hypoglycemic agents. . METHODS: Using a 2 x 2 randomized cross-over design, a total of 8 patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to two sequences of treatments, including 1) 100 ml of bitter melon juice administered 15 minutes prior to the 75-g oral glucose load; 2) 30 minutes of moderate-intensity walking performed 15 minutes after the oral glucose load. All participants completed 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test after bitter melon or exercise interventions. Linear mixed models were used to test the effects of treatment, time, and treatment x time interaction on postprandial glucose values after adjustment for covariates. General linear model was used to test incremental area under curve (iAUC) difference between bitter melon and exercise groups after adjustment for covariates. RESULTS: The baseline glucose levels between bitter melon and waking conditions were similar (6.6 ± 0.9 vs. 6.8 ± 0.7 mmol/L, P=0.57). There were no statistical differences for the mean glucose during the 2-h postprandial period (13.7 ± 2.8 vs. 13.0 ± 2.4 mmol/L, P=.56) and 2-h postprandial glucose iAUC (12.6 ± 4.8 vs. 10.7 ± 3.6 mmol/L·h, P=0.38) between the bitter melon and walking conditions. There was no treatment x time interaction on glucose values (P=0.56). When comparing the glucose levels between the two conditions at each time point, there was also no statistical difference in glucose values at 30 minutes (12.4 ± 2.1 vs 10.5 ± 2.1 mmol/L, P=0.086), at 60 minutes (14.5 ± 2.8 vs 13.6 ± 2.7 mmol/L, P=0.56), 90 minutes (14.7 ± 3.7 vs 14.4 ± 3.3 mmol/L, P=0.88), or 120 minutes (13.5 ± 4.6 vs 13.4 ± 3.9 mmol/L, P=0.95), respectively, between bitter melon and waking conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that, among patients with type 2 diabetes, the intake of 100 ml of bitter melon juice can elicit similar postprandial glucose responses, as compared with performing 30 minutes of walking at moderate-intensity.