Currently there are many diabetes capsules on the market. Bitter melon (Momodica Charantia), also called Karela, and cinnamon are the most popular.
Used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, the fruits and seeds of bitter melon are used in medicine. The American Diabetes Association does not consider cinnamon or bitter melon viable forms of treatment for diabetes. If you choose to take supplements advise your doctor and be sure to measure blood glucose frequently. It is not advisable to take cinnamon supplements with insulin or suphonylureas it may lead to hypoglycemia. When buying supplements make sure to buy from a certified maker, ensuring that the ingredients match those on the label.
Cinnamon Capsules Diabetes
There have been several studies investigating the ability of cinnamon (cinnamon cassia) to lower blood sugar. In a study published in 2009, people with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes who took cinnamon supplements twice a day for 90 days had improved A1C levels. It is theorized that the chemical hydroxychalcone assists the effects of insulin by increasing insulin sensitivity in cells.
A study of 60 patients on glyburide conducted by the Department of Human Nutrition, NWFP Agricultural University in 2003 and published in Diabetes Care administered doses of one, three, or six grams of cinnamon or a placebo for 40 days. In patients treated with cinnamon blood glucose was lowered by 18-29% at the end of the study. Additionally, the cinnamon was found to lower cholesterol and triglycerides as well. However, in a meta-analysis published in 2008 in Diabetes Care cinnamon was not found to improve A1C levels, FBG, or lipids in people with diabetes.
Diabetes Capsules – Bitter Melon
A homeopathic study by the Homeopathic Drug Research Institute gave a momodica charantia solution to diabetes-induced rabbits, measuring blood glucose and hormone levels. After 30 days of treatment the rabbits displayed a significant decrease in glucose levels. In a 2008 study published in Chemistry & Biology, researchers at the Shanghia Institute of Meteria Medica and Garvan Institute of Medical Research were able to isolate biological compounds from crushed bitter melon, extracting four cucurbitane glcosides, momordicosides Q, R, S, and T and stereochemistry established karaviloside XI isolated. The researchers found the compounds stimulated GLUT4 translocation to the cell membrane, an essential part of glucose uptake by cells. The compounds were also associated with activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation. In normal body function exercise activates AMPK suggesting the compounds isolated mimic the effect of exercise in the activation of AMPK. The results of the study suggest that cucurbitane triterpenoids from bitter melon may have significant therapeutic effects for diabetic patients.
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