苦瓜 여주 (고과)

Bitter Melon (여주, 苦瓜)

Nature and flavor. In Korean traditional medicine, every herb is classified by its nature (whether it warms or cools the body) and its flavor (which hints at how it acts). The Bencao Gangmu, the great 16th-century Chinese materia medica that Korean physicians drew on, describes bitter melon as cold in nature, bitter in flavor, and non-toxic. A cold, bitter herb was understood as something that drains heat from the body.

Main uses. Bitter melon was traditionally used in summer to clear internal heat and to relieve thirst and the suffocating, restless feeling that comes with overheating. It is a relatively late addition to the East Asian pharmacopoeia, having arrived from elsewhere only during the Ming dynasty. For that reason it appears mainly in the Bencao Gangmu lineage rather than in older Korean medical classics.

A modern view. Bitter melon contains compounds called charantin and polypeptide-p, which have drawn attention for their ability to lower blood sugar. Several meta-analyses of human trials have found that it can modestly improve fasting glucose and HbA1c in people with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. The results across studies are inconsistent, however, so bitter melon is best regarded as a supportive measure alongside conventional treatment — not a replacement for diabetes medication.