Effectiveness And Safety of Nutritional Supplement Momordica Charantia in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus:Randomised Open Label Study- PG Dissertation

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (type2 dm) is one of the major health problems and it is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Diabetes mellitus is a growing global public health problem, and it is characterized by hyperglycemia. The developing and underdeveloped countries have recently witnessed an increase in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus.  Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to increased risk of macrovascular (cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and peripheral artery disease) and microvascular (diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy) complications. Intervention in the form of diet and exercise can delay the onset of diabetes and complications. The initial treatment includes the use of oral antidiabetic medications and insulin can be considered in these patients when blood sugar is inadequately controlled.   Momordica charantia (mc), known as bitter melon, has been reported to have antiviral, antibacterial, anti-cancer, and immune-modulating properties. The active components of mc are charantin, vicine, and polypeptide p which are structurally similar to animal insulin. The probable mechanisms of action include increased insulin-like effects, stimulation of pancreatic secretion leading to decreased hepatic gluconeogenesis, increased hepatic glycogen synthesis, and increased peripheral glucose oxidation. Momordica charantia has been widely used as a complementary or alternative therapy for treating diabetes mellitus in many other countries. There are few studies regarding the effect of Momordica charantia as an adjuvant for type 2 diabetes mellitus especially in India. This study will give us the efficacy and safety of Momordica charantia on blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who are on oral anti-diabetic medications.