BT-065 · Cucurbitaceae

Bitter melon

Momordica charantia

Evidence: LimitedCaution

The same plant is an ulcer remedy with olive oil in Anatolia and a malaria tea in the Amazon.

Other names: Bitter gourd, sorosi (Amazon), kudret narı (Turkish)
Part used: Fruit
Region: Anatolia and the Mediterranean
Amazon
Use: Healing, Food

Photo: Fahim Shahriyar Rifat · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

In short

What is Bitter melon?

Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is a plant of the Cucurbitaceae family. Traditions that use it: Anatolia and the Mediterranean, Amazon. Part used: fruit.

What is Bitter melon used for?

Traditional use: The ripe fruit is steeped in olive oil, and the oil is drunk or applied for stomach ulcers and wounds. Scientific evidence: limited. Some small studies show it lowers blood sugar; systematic reviews find the evidence insufficient and inconsistent.

Is Bitter melon safe?

Safety label: caution. With diabetes medicines it can lower blood sugar dangerously. Not for use in pregnancy. The red seed coating has poisoned children.

Traditional use

Anatolia

The ripe fruit is steeped in olive oil, and the oil is drunk or applied for stomach ulcers and wounds.

Amazon

In the Peruvian Amazon, sorosi leaves are brewed for fever, malaria and blood sugar.

In nature

Where it grows: Grown in gardens in Anatolia; wild and cultivated in the Amazon.
Harvest season: Fruit is picked August–October when it turns orange.
Local names: kudret narı, kudret helvası, acı kavun

Mix-up risk

Can be confused with similar ornamental climbers; bitter melon fruit is warty and bursts open when ripe.

Preparation

The ripe fruit is packed into olive oil and left in the sun.

What science says

Some small studies show it lowers blood sugar; systematic reviews find the evidence insufficient and inconsistent.

Safety

Caution

With diabetes medicines it can lower blood sugar dangerously. Not for use in pregnancy. The red seed coating has poisoned children.

Drug interactions

Medicine or substance	Why it matters
Diabetes medicines and insulin	Can lower blood sugar dangerously.
Drugs carried by P-glycoprotein	Lab studies show it affects drug transport.

This list is not complete. If you take regular medication, ask your pharmacist or doctor before trying Bitter melon.

Culture bridge

One fruit, two medicines. Bitter melon is an ulcer remedy with olive oil in Anatolia and, as sorosi, a malaria tea in the Amazon. Read the comparison →