Bitter melon is a fruit that grows
abundantly in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. Traditionally it has been
used to treat diabetes and other more mild diseases or illnesses.
More recently, bitter melon juice was shown to kill pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in mice in a study done by the University of Colorado. Considering the results were seen in both in vitro and in vivo
tests, the effectiveness of bitter melon juice in treating pancreatic
cancer, and potentially other cancers, at a clinical level are
promising.[1]
“IHC analyses of MiaPaCa-2 xenografts
showed that BMJ(Bitter Melon Juice) also inhibits proliferation, induces
apoptosis and activates AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein
kinase) in vivo. Overall, BMJ exerts strong anticancer efficacy against human pancreatic carcinoma cells, both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting its clinical usefulness.”
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most
difficult cancers to treat due to the fact that it is often discovered
late, leaving very little time to treat. Since traditional therapies
(chemotherapy, radiation, surgery etc) were not showing promising
results and littler advancement was being made, researchers have been
looking elsewhere to find treatment.
Interestingly, cannabis, specifically
cannabinoids, have been shown to induce apoptic (programmed) death of
human pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and stop pancreatic tumor growth
in vivo.[4] Cannabis
is perhaps one of the most popular treatments being aggressively
pursued right now given its promising results both in labs and
anecdotally.
Scientific Evidence
Pancreatic Cancer
Many cancerous tumors have insulin
receptors which move glucose to cancer cells helping them to grow and
divide. Studies have shown that insulin encourages pancreatic cancer
cells to grow in a dose dependant manner, since bitter melon has been
shown to help regulate insulin levels, this could help prevent
pancreatic cancer over the long-term.
The Colorado University study was led by
Dr. Rajesh Agarwal. They examined effects of bitter melon on 4
different lines of pancreatic cancer cells (in vitro) and in mice. For
the in vivo studies, mice were injected with pancreatic tumor cells and
were randomly divided into one of two groups. One group of mice received
water, which was the control group, and the other group was given
bitter melon juice for six weeks.
Researchers studied the tumors at the
end of the study and results showed that bitter melon juice not only
inhibited cancer cell proliferation but also induced apoptosis
(programmed cell death). Compared to the control, tumor growth was
inhibited by 60% in the treatment group and there were no signs of
toxicity or negative effects on the body. With toxicity and negative
effects being a huge role in traditional mainstream treatments, this was
positive to see.
Diabetes
A number of clinical studies have been
conducted to evaluate the efficacy of bitter melon for treating
diabetes. Since it is believed that diabetes is a precursor for
pancreatic cancer, researchers felt bitter melon could treat diabetes as
well after seeing pancreatic cancer results.
In 2011, results of a four week long clinical trial were published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology that showed modest hypoglycemic effects and significant fructosamine management for those taking 2000mg/day of bitter melon.
As published by the study: “Bitter melon
had a modest hypoglycemic effect and significantly reduced fructosamine
levels from baseline among patients with type 2 diabetes who received
2,000 mg/day. However, the hypoglycemic effect of bitter melon was less
than metformin 1,000 mg/day.”[3]
Another study published in 2008 in the international journal Chemistry and Biology
indicated that compounds in bitter melon improved glycemic control,
helped cells uptake glucose and improved overall glucose tolerance. This
study was done in mice and led to promising advancements in treating
diabetes and obesity with bitter melon.[4]
In contrast, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology in 2007 did not show significant benefit of the treatment of diabetes by bitter melon but 2 years later in the British Journal of Nutrition it was stated that “more, better-designed and clinical trials are required to confirm the fruit’s role in diabetes treatment.”
Since that 2007 study, more studies have been done to show beneficial effects which perhaps was a result of better design.
Conclusion
When it comes to bitter melon juice, the
current research available is showing strong results for specific types
of cancer cell destruction, diabetes treatment and potential prevention
of pancreatic cancer. Further research and clinical trials would be
helpful to better understand how effective this plant can be and in what
specific cases. It remains a very promising option that could be
explored under the correct supervision.
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