Karela (Bitter Gourd): Uses, Benefits, Side Effects and More!

Introduction:

Karela, also known as Momordica charantia L., belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae. It is commonly known as balsam pear, bitter gourd, bitter melon, karela, or kugua. Its fruit has been used as a vegetable for thousands of years. It is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. It is called ‘bitter melon’ or ‘bitter gourd’ as the entire plant, including the fruit, tastes very bitter. Karela is widely cultivated in countries like India, China, Japan, Malaya, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Colombia, Brazil, Amazon, Cuba, East Africa, Haiti, Ghana, Mexico, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Panama, Middle East, Central and South America.¹

The vernacular names of Karela are Karavelli in Sanskrit; Karelo in Gujrati; Karli in Marathi; Baramasiya in Bengali; Kaypa in Malayalam; Karali in Kannada; Kakara in Telugu; Pakar in Tamil.²

In my opinion, karela with a bit of a tangy taste, might actually benefit the immune cells. It’s true! It may help calm down inflammation and act as an immunomodulator, which is like being a saviour for your immune response.

Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

Nutritional Value of Karela:

Karela has the following nutritional value:³

• Water: 94 g
• Carbohydrate: 3.7 g
• Protein: 1 g
• Fat: 0.17 g
• Energy: 17 kcal
• Fibre: 2.8 g
• Calcium: 19 mg
• Magnesium: 17 mg
• Iron: 0.43 mg
• Sodium: 5 mg
• Potassium: 296 mg
• Copper: 0.034 mg
• Zinc: 0.8 mg
• Selenium: 0.2 µg
• Manganese: 0.089 mg
• Vitamin A: 24 µg
• Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): 0.04 mg
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 0.04 mg
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 0.4 mg
• Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid): 0.212 mg
• Vitamin B6: 0.043 mg
• Vitamin B9 (Folate): 72 µg
• Vitamin C: 84 mg

Also Read: Karela Juice: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects and More!

Properties of Karela:

The properties of karela include:

• It might be an antioxidant
• It might have hypoglycaemic (lowers the blood sugar level) activity
• It might have anti-bacterial (kills bacteria) property
• It might have anti-viral (kills viruses) activity
• It might have an anti-cancer potential²
• It might have anti-diarrhoeal effects⁴

Also Read: Dhania (Cilantro): Uses, Benefits & Side Effects

Potential uses of Karela:

1. Potential Uses of Karela for Diabetes

The Karela extract is traditionally used as vegetable insulin as it might have antioxidant and antidiabetic properties. Its antidiabetic effect is tested in both animals and humans. When tested in an animal model, the entire plant, including fruit pulp and seed, showed potential antidiabetic property. Its fruit was found to have more potential effects on diabetes. It might either control the release of insulin or may change the metabolism of glucose.⁵

Karela contains a few chemicals, including glycoside, charantin, vicine, karavilosides, and polypeptide-p (plant insulin). These chemicals might improve blood sugar levels by raising the glucose uptake and synthesis of glycogen in the liver, fat, and muscles cells.⁶ Kindly consult a doctor for the proper diagnosis and treatment of serious conditions such as diabetes. Please do not sefl-medicate.

Based on my observations, karela has two tasty options: young shoots and not-quite-ripe fruits. The fruits are bitter, but you may make them less bitter by blanching or soaking them in salty water. Inside the yellow fruits, you find a treasure trove of good stuff like carotenoids, iron, phosphorous, and vitamin C.

Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS

2. Potential Uses of Karela for Antioxidant Properties

The phenolic compounds in karela are a potentially excellent natural source of food antioxidants. Phenolic compounds might have the ability to lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and the incidence of heart-related diseases and cancer.⁵ However, more research is required.

3. Potential Uses of Karela for Cancer

The karela extract might help modify the signaling pathways involved in breast cancer. It might block the growth of breast cancer cells and may be used as a dietary supplement to help against breast cancer. The fruits, green leaves, stems, and seeds of karela have several active proteins and steroids. These proteins might have potential anticancer activity.⁵ However, serious conditions such as cancer should be diagnosed and treated by a doctor. Therefore, consult a doctor and do not self-medicate.

From what I have know and read, karela is a versatile plant that can be included in our diet for better health! It is not only tasty but also may have medicinal benefits. It might keep worms away, relieve pain, help with haemorrhoids, and even soothe rashes.

Dr. Smita Barode, B.A.M.S, M.S. 

4. Potential Uses of Karela for Malaria

Asians, Colombians, and Panamanians have traditionally known karela as a helpful plant against malaria. Various studies have confirmed that several species of karela might have antimalarial properties.⁶

5. Potential Uses of Karela for Healing Wounds

A series of abnormalities linked with diabetes and delayed wound healing are lowered immune response, reduced formation of new blood vessels, deficiency of growth factors, and reduced production of collagen. When karela fruit ointment was applied to the rat (diabetic rat), it showed a potential to improve wound closure and may help enhance a gene that helps in cell growth. Therefore, it might be beneficial for the healing of the wound.¹ However, more research is required to prove such effects on humans.

Though there are studies that show the Potential uses of karela in various conditions, these are insufficient and there is a need for further studies to establish the true extent of the benefits of karela on human health. 

I came across a fascinating study that revealed something amazing about karela. According to the study, karela extract may have the power to speed up the healing process of gastric ulcers in rats. However, it’s important to note that studies on humans are needed to confirm these exciting claims.

Dr. Anuja Bodhare, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

Also Read: Wheatgrass Juice: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects and More!

How to Use Karela?

It is mostly used as:

• Vegetable
• Karela juice⁴
• Karela leaf tea⁶
• Fried karela chips
• Dehydrated karela rings
• Karela pickle²

You must consult a qualified doctor before taking any herbal supplements. Do not discontinue or replace an ongoing treatment of modern medicine with an ayurvedic/herbal preparation without consulting a qualified doctor.  

Side Effects of Karela:

• When taken orally by some people, karela might upset the stomach, but there is not much information related to the side effects associated with its long-term use.
• Karela might cause a rash when applied to the skin.⁷
• Some people may experience headaches with oral consumption of karela.
• Karela may also lower the blood sugar level (consult a doctor before use in case you are taking medicines for diabetes).⁴

If you experience any of these side effects, you must consult your doctor immediately.

Also Read: Lemongrass: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects and More!

Precautions to Take with Karela:

• Surgery: Stop using karela at least two weeks before any surgery. Karela might interfere with blood sugar control during and after surgery.
• Pregnancy: Karela is unsafe during pregnancy as it contains certain chemicals that might be harmful to pregnancy.
• Breastfeeding: It’s safer to avoid its use during breastfeeding as there is insufficient data on its safe use during breastfeeding. Consult your doctor before consuming karela.
• Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency: Karela seeds might cause severe anaemia in people with G6PD deficiency. Therefore, it is better to avoid using karela if you have G6PD deficiency.⁷
• Allergy: Avoid karela if you have a known allergy to karela or any member of the family Cucurbitaceae, including honeydew, casaba, Persian melon, cantaloupe, and muskmelon. Signs of allergy are itching, shortness of breath, or rash.⁴
• Do not self-medicate yourself using any herb.

Interactions With Other Drugs:

Since karela lowers the blood sugar level, taking karela along with diabetes medicines might lower the blood sugar level too much. Therefore, monitor your blood sugar level carefully while taking karela. Discuss your ongoing treatments and medications with your doctor before taking karela for its benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

References:

1. Jia S, Shen M, Zhang F, Xie J. Recent advances in momordica charantia: Functional components and biological activities. Int J Mol Sci. 2017;18(12). Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29182587/

2. U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central Search Results (Edamame, frozen, prepared). 2019;1–Available from: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168411/nutrients

3. Kumar KPS, Bhowmik D. Traditional medicinal uses and therapeutic benefits of Momordica charantia Linn. Int J Pharm Sci Rev Res. 2010;4(3):23–8. Available at: https://globalresearchonline.net/journalcontents/volume4issue3/Article%20004.pdf

4. Upadhyay A, Agrahari P, Singh DK. A review on salient pharmacological features of momordica charantia. Int J Pharmacol. 2015;11(5):405–13. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281431310_A_Review_on_Salient_Pharmacological_Features_of_Momordica_charantia

5. Gupta M, Sharma S, Gautam AK, Bhadauria R. Momordica charantia linn. (Karela): Nature’s silent healer. Int J Pharm Sci Rev Res. 2011;11(1):32–7. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285966662_Momordica_charantia_linn_Karela_Nature’s_silent_healer

6. Medlineplus. Bitter melon [Internet]. medlinePlus National Library of Medicine. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/natural/795.html

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