It has been estimated that up to one-third of patients with diabetes mellitus use some form of complementary and alternative medicine. Momordica charantia (bitter melon) is a popular fruit used for the treatment of diabetes and related conditions amongst the indigenous populations of Asia, South America, India and East Africa. Abundant pre-clinical studies have documented the anti-diabetic and hypoglycaemic effects of M. charantia through various postulated mechanisms. However, clinical trial

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... ta with human subjects are limited and flawed by poor study design and low statistical power. The present article reviews the clinical data regarding the anti-diabetic potentials of M. charantia and calls for better-designed clinical trials to further elucidate its possible therapeutic effects. Momordica charantia: Hypoglycaemic agents: Diabetes mellitus: Complementary and alternative medicine * Corresponding author: Dr Lawrence Leung, fax þ1 613 544 9899, email leungl@queensu.ca Abbreviations: FBS, fasting blood sugar; MC, Momordica charantia; PPS, postprandial sugar; T1D, type 1 diabetes; T2D, type 2 diabetes.