Ampalaya or bitter melon (Mormodica charantia) has been proven to be effective in lowering the blood sugar of people with non-insulin dependent or type 2 diabetes, the type of diabetes that afflicts 90 to 95 percent of all diabetics.
A substantial number of scientific studies on the effect of ampalaya on blood glucose levels have already been undertaken. The most compelling of these is a 10-year trial, which was conducted by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) that compared ampalaya leaves with the anti-diabetes drug glibenclamide. The results of the trial showed that the blood sugar lowering effect of a 100 milligram per kilo dose per day of ampalaya is comparable to 2.5 milligrams of the anti-diabetes drug Glibenclamide taken twice a day.
