We know it sounds counterintuitive, but juicing really can be part of a healthy, regulated diet for people with diabetes. Long-term management of many diabetic conditions include the same general advice for what constitutes a healthy diet, but the most critical component is managing your sugar consumption to help your body regulate its blood sugar levels. More than simply offering low-sugar recipes, bitter melons contain lectin, charantin, vicine, and polypeptide-p which help lower blood sugar levels.
It’s not magic, and it’s not marketing. But you’re right, if you’re thinking there’s a catch. The fruits with high levels of these specific nutrients are also very bitter. So expect the juice to taste more like medicine than a fruity treat. Still, it can be very effective. In fact, more than just a generic disclaimer, we strongly recommend talking to your doctor before starting this type of juicing regimen and especially if you’re already taking medication for your diabetic condition. Doing both at the same time may result in a dangerous drop in blood sugar levels. Some people find that by juicing bitter melons, they can replace their prescription medication.
Creating a Balanced Approach
Both to regulate your blood sugar levels and to make bitter melon more palatable, we’ve found three recipe variations to gradually add small amounts of natural sugars in with the daily juicing recipe. Within reasonable limits, these variations may also allow you to game-out the rest of the day’s food plan. Expecting to splurge later in the day at a social event? Perhaps you opt for the most bitter version of the recipe.
Most Bitter of All
- 2 large bitter melons
Extremely Bitter
- 2 large bitter melons
- 1 medium cucumber
- Half a lemon
Still Very Bitter
- 2 large bitter melons
- 1 medium cucumber
- Half a lemon
- 1 Fuji apple
Personal Modifications and Tolerance Level
Some people will inevitably respond better than others to juicing of varying bitterness as well as the long-term upside of adding this type of medicinal juice to your diet. More than just type 1 and type 2 diabetes, the severity of the symptoms and the methods needed to effectively treat diabetic conditions will vary. Likewise, diabetes doesn’t preclude one from having food allergies that may limit the ingredients that can be used for juices.
Even for people with diabetes, the goal isn’t to eliminate sugar from your diet entirely. Nor is the point of using bitter melons to manage how much sugar you can otherwise put in your juice. It’s how much sugar and other allowances you have to make in the rest of your diet, while still being able to maintain a safe blood glucose level. This is the medicinal value that a daily juicing habit has to offer.
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