Condition
Diabetes
Diabetes is a long-term condition in which the body makes too little insulin or can't respond to it well, so sugar lingers in the blood. Bitter melon has the most research among supplements, and trials found it was well tolerated, with side effects similar to placebo, mostly stomach upset and headache. TB-500 improved blood sugar and insulin resistance in diabetic mice, but that is animal work only, so the evidence is very limited.
Sources: PMID 22217673
- Updated
- How we grade
- 3 studies cited
- Supplements studied
- 1
- Medicines and peptides
- 1
- Graded outcomes
- 6
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safety and Tolerability RCTs show good tolerability - adverse events similar to placebo. Common AEs: GI symptoms (nausea, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort), headache. No significant liver enzyme changes in 12-week trials. ALT/AST stable or slightly declined. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | ||||
| Hypoglycemia Risk SAFETY CONCERN: Hypoglycemic coma and convulsions reported in children. Risk increases when combined with diabetes medications. Case reports of serious hypoglycemia. Caution required with concurrent antidiabetic therapy. | Worsens (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | ||||
| Fasting Blood Glucose Meta-analysis of RCTs: No significant effect on fasting blood glucose vs placebo (MD -0.03, 95% CI -0.38 to 0.31). High heterogeneity among studies. Individual trials show mixed results with some showing reductions and others showing no effect. | NoneNo effect | |||||
| HbA1c Reduction Meta-analysis: No significant effect on HbA1c (MD -0.12, 95% CI -0.35 to 0.11, I²=56%). Short study durations and small sample sizes may explain inconsistent results. Some individual studies report modest HbA1c reductions. | NoneNo effect | |||||
| Postprandial Glucose Korean prediabetes RCT (12 weeks): Improved postprandial glucose levels, possibly via glucagon suppression. More consistent effect than fasting glucose. Long-term cohort studies needed to confirm prophylactic benefits. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect |
Prescription medicines and peptides studied, for context
TB-500
- Insulin Sensitivity: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insulin Sensitivity Ameliorates hyperglycemia and improves insulin resistance in diabetic mouse models. Preclinical evidence only. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 3 studies | 30 people |
Key findings
- Safety and TolerabilityImproves (the measure goes up)
- Hypoglycemia RiskWorsens (the measure goes up)
- Fasting Blood Glucose
Safety notes in the studies
- RCTs show good tolerability - adverse events similar to placebo.
- Risk increases when combined with diabetes medications.
- Caution required with concurrent antidiabetic therapy.
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Support alongside medical care. These supplements are not a treatment for Diabetes. If you are being treated for it, talk to your clinician before adding one: supplements can interact with medicines.
The collection holds the supplements we grade A or B for its theme, in products from the Fullscript catalog. It opens in our Fullscript store. You can look through it without signing in; Fullscript asks for a free account to order.
We earn from purchases made in our Fullscript store, and links to Fullscript, iHerb or Thorne carry our referral, so we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Grades come from the research and never change based on what we earn. Full disclosure
Studies cited
3 studies from PubMed