hepatitis c and bitter melon tea interaction

[cheflea]

My husband has hepatitis c and recently diagnosed with High sugar.  He is on Metformin. With the hepatitis, is it safe for him to drink bitter melon tea?

[Bill1954]

In looking over several articles online, it looks like bitter melon might have immunomodulating properties; for instance:

“The other realm showing the most promise related to bitter melon is as an immunomodulator. One clinical trial found very limited evidence that bitter melon might improve immune cell function in people with cancer, but this needs to be verified and amplified in other research. If proven correct this is another way bitter melon could help people infected with HIV.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_melon

I’d definitely discuss this with his HCV management team prior to use. Metformin has demonstrated efficacy for type II DM, and there are other oral meds that can be combined with it if metformin by itself isn’t enough. Pioglitazone and Glipizide are routinely prescribed in conjunction with metformin for DM II management.

Good luck—

Bill

[cheflea]

Thank you for your help and the information.

[evangelin]

I have no personal experience with bitter melon and it is hard to say how strong the tea is (I doubt it is as strong as taking the pills,but I don't know)  but what little I have read, it can have an additive effect to whatever you are taking for diabetes.  We would need someone's opinion that understands how the Metformin works.  I have a vague idea but not enough to give advice.  Below is something I copied that could be helpful.  I guess it would just be a matter of hypoglycemia if the blood sugars go to low.  Hopefully someone else can help more. Wish I could be more helpful.
Ev

Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2003 Feb 15;60(4):356-9.

Bitter melon (Momordica charantia): a review of efficacy and safety.
Basch E, Gabardi S, Ulbricht C.

Natural Standard, 1130 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-5204, USA.

Abstract
The pharmacology, clinical efficacy, adverse effects, drug interactions, and place in therapy of bitter melon are described. Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is an alternative therapy that has primarily been used for lowering blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes mellitus. Components of bitter melon extract appear to have structural similarities to animal insulin. Antiviral and antineoplastic activities have also been reported in vitro. Four clinical trials found bitter melon juice, fruit, and dried powder to have a moderate hypoglycemic effect. These studies were small and were not randomized or double-blind, however. Reported adverse effects of bitter melon include hypoglycemic coma and convulsions in children, reduced fertility in mice, a favism-like syndrome, increases in gamma-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase levels in animals, and headaches. Bitter melon may have additive effects when taken with other glucose-lowering agents. Adequately powered, randomized, placebo-controlled trials are needed to properly assess safety and efficacy before bitter melon can be routinely recommended. Bitter melon may have hypoglycemic effects, but data are not sufficient to recommend its use in the absence of careful supervision and monitoring.

PMID: 12625217 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


Publication Types, MeSH Terms, SubstancesPublication Types: ReviewMeSH Terms:AnimalsDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2/drug therapy*Drug InteractionsHumansMomordica charantia*Phytotherapy*Plant Extracts/administration & dosagePlant Extracts/adverse effectsPlant Extracts/pharmacology*Substances:Plant Extracts
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[fretboard]

Bitter melon is mainly used by ppl of Chinese or Phillipine ancestry so maybe someone will chime in about this melon.  I know a family that uses it for alot of different ailments including diabetes.  Here's a clip off of Pubmed.  

Effect of bitter gourd and spent turmeric on constituents of glycosaminoglycans in different tissues in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

Kumar GS, Vijayalakshmi B, Salimath PV.

Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore 570 020, India.
Abstract

Diet is now one of the well established means in the management of diabetes. Bitter gourd and spent turmeric at 10% level were tested for their efficacy on glycosaminoglycan metabolism in various tissues viz., liver, spleen, lungs, heart and testis in control, diabetic and treated rats. The glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) were isolated from defatted and dried tissues. The contents of sulfated GAGs decreased in all the tissues and the decrease was more prominent in heart and testis. In the isolated GAGs, contents of total sugar, amino sugar, uronic acid and sulfate were studied. Decrease in total sugar content was maximum in testis. Amino sugar content decreased considerably in testis (38%) and lungs (15%). The content of uronic acid also decreased in testis (33%) besides heart (29%) and liver (25%). Sulfate groups in GAGs perform pivotal functions in many biological events and decrease in sulfate content was significant in heart (40%), testis (37%) and liver (37%). GAGs profile on the cellulose acetate electrophoresis revealed that heparan sulfate (HS), hyaluronic acid (HA) and chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate (CS/DS) were present in liver, spleen and lungs. HS, CS were present in heart, DS/CS was observed in testis. The observed beneficial effects in GAGs metabolism during diabetes may be due to the presence of high amounts of dietary fibres present in bitter gourd and spent turmeric, besides, possible presence of bioactive compounds in one or both of them.

PMID: 16532259 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]