Bitter melon

These are the amounts published trials administered — not a recommendation, and not a dose to copy. Trial participants were screened, supervised and given a characterised preparation. What is in a retail bottle is frequently not what was studied, and the amount that suits one person is not general advice.

• Studied for Glycaemic markers in type 2 diabetes

  500–2000 mg

  Not enough

  Fruit extract or dried powder, divided doses · 4 weeks to 3 months

  Trials used fruit juice, dried fruit and extracts interchangeably, which are very different exposures, and reviewers found the evidence insufficient to establish either a dose or an effect.

This is general information about food, not medical advice. It cannot diagnose, treat or replace guidance from a clinician who knows your history.

None of the timings below were directly compared in a trial. They reflect how the research happened to dose, or what the pharmacology implies — which is not the same as a timing being better.

• 🍽️With food

  Not enough

  Dosed with meals in most protocols, mirroring how it is eaten as a vegetable. Not compared against other schedules.

  Timing was not directly compared. This reflects convention or how the compound behaves in the body, not a trial showing this window works better.