The Indian Council of Medical Research–India Diabetes study revealed that about 101 million people in the country are living with diabetes. Diabetics, especially those who have type 2 diabetes, and their families are very careful about what they eat. Even if it’s a fruit juice, they need to ensure they aren’t too sweet. Coming to healthy drinks for diabetics, karela jamun juice (bitter gourd and Indian blackberry juice) seems to be popular. In fact, my mom gives it to my dad every morning. He drinks it on an empty stomach and finds it helpful in managing diabetes. Read on to find out if an expert agrees with my mom on karela juice being the best health drink for diabetics or not.

Health Shots reached out to holistic health coach Azhar Ali Sayed to explore the link between karela jamun juice and diabetes.

Karela jamun juice for diabetics

Sayed says karela and jamun are well-known Ayurvedic remedies for regulating blood sugar levels. Well scientifically, bitter gourd has naturally occurring compounds like Polypeptide-p or p-insulin that resemble insulin’s effects. These molecules that resemble insulin help to regulate blood sugar levels. Also, it lowers blood sugar by lowering appetite and increasing the glucose uptake by cells.

Jamun, on the other hand, contains beneficial compounds like jamboline and jambosine, which have restorative properties. They work to increase the body’s production of insulin and slow down the release of blood sugar, which are often compromised for people living with diabetes. So, the expert says that a combination of karela and jamun juice may be effective in managing diabetes.

Easy way to make karela jamun juice

Karela jamun juice is an acidic, sour and bitter-flavoured juice that has high amounts of potassium, vitamin C, iron, magnesium and fiber, which may help in managing inflammatory conditions like diabetes.

Here’s how to make karela jamun juice:

• Wash and peel the bitter gourd
• Remove all the seeds and white flesh with the help of a spoon
• Chop the karela and jamun into small pieces
• Blend until smooth with a small piece of ginger. You can use water to adjust the consistency as per your liking
• If you want, you can add honey or jaggery to lessen the bitterness
• Pour it into a glass and serve it right away

Too much of karela jamun juice is a big no

While karela and jamun juice can help to lower blood sugar levels, it is important to remember that consuming too much can be harmful. Sayed says that it may interact with anti-diabetic medications, so you must consume it in moderation if you are already taking medications to manage diabetes. Bitter gourd already has anti-diabetic effects, so combining it with diabetes medicine could lead your blood sugar to drop to dangerously low levels. Also, treat karela jamun juice as complementary along with a healthy diet and regular physical activity. That’s because its use isn’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of diabetes or any other medical condition.

While karela jamun juice is something that diabetics can have, they can try other healthy beverages too. Diabetics should basically have low calorie and nutrient-dense beverages. Cinnamon tea, coconut water, buttermilk and vegetable juices made of cucumbers, tomatoes, beetroot, carrot, ginger along with a bit of lime juice are some of the other healthy drink options for diabetics.