Karela: Uses, Benefits & Side Effects

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

Nutritional Value of Karela:

Karela has the following nutritional value:³

Nutrient	Amount per 100 g
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

Table showing the nutritional value of karela³

Therapeutic Uses of Karela:

The therapeutic properties of karela include:

• Antioxidant
• Hypoglycaemic (lowers the blood sugar level)
• Anti-bacterial (kills bacteria)
• Anti-viral (kills viruses)
• Anti-cancer²
• Anti-diarrhoeal⁴

Also Read: Kulthi Dal: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects & More!

Benefits of Karela:

1. Benefits of Karela for Diabetes:

The Karela extract is traditionally used as vegetable insulin as it has 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 the antidiabetic property. Its fruit was found to have more beneficial effects on diabetes. It either controls the release of insulin or changes the metabolism of glucose.⁵

Karela contains a few chemicals, including glycoside, charantin, vicine, karavilosides, and polypeptide-p (plant insulin). These chemicals improve blood sugar levels by raising the glucose uptake and synthesis of glycogen in the liver, fat, and muscles cells.⁶

2. Benefits of Karela for Antioxidant Property:

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

3. Benefits of Karela for Cancer:

The karela extract modifies the signalling pathways involved in breast cancer. It blocks the growth of breast cancer cells and can be used as a dietary supplement to prevent breast cancer. The fruits, green leaves, stems, and seeds of karela have several active proteins and steroids. These proteins have anticancer activity.⁵

4. Benefits of Karela for Malaria:

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

5. Benefits 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 factor, and reduced production of collagen. When karela fruit ointment was applied in the rat (diabetic rat), it improved the wound closure and enhanced a gene that helps in cell growth and, therefore, was found to be beneficial for the healing of the wound.¹

How to Use Karela?

It is mostly used as:

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

Also Read: Chirata – Benefits, Side Effects, Precautions & More!

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 (Use with caution in case you are taking medicines for diabetes).⁴

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

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.

Also Read: Isabgol (Psyllium Husk): Uses, Benefits & Side Effects

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is karela good for diabetes?

Yes, karela is good for diabetes. In a study, its fruit was found to have beneficial effects on diabetes. It either controls the release of insulin or changes the metabolism of glucose.⁵ Karela contains a few chemicals that improve the blood sugar levels by raising the glucose uptake and synthesis of glycogen in the liver, fat, and muscles cells.⁶

Can we eat karela in pregnancy?

No, please do not consume karela during pregnancy. It is unsafe during pregnancy as it contains certain chemicals that might be harmful to pregnancy.⁷

Is karela good for the kidney?

Yes, karela is good for the kidneys. Traditionally, karela has been used in China, Cuba, and India for managing kidney problems and kidney stones.⁴

Are there any side effects of karela?

Yes, there are some side effects of karela. In some people, karela might upset the stomach. Karela might cause a rash when applied to the skin.⁷ Some people may get headaches. Karela may also lower the blood sugar level.⁴

Can karela cure malaria?

Karela can be beneficial for malaria. It has been traditionally known by Asians, Colombians, and Panamanians as a helpful plant that prevents and manages malaria.⁶ However, a study for the antimalarial effect of karela in humans is required.

Is karela good for health?

Yes, karela is good for health and can manage diabetes mellitus, anorexia (lack of appetite for food), blood impurities, diarrhoea, hangover, piles, pyorrhoea, skin infections, and respiratory problems⁴. It also has antimicrobial, anticancer, wound healing, and antimalarial properties^1,2,5,6.

How to use karela?

Karela can be used as a vegetable, karela juice, karela leaf tea, fried karela chips, dehydrated karela rings, and karela pickle.^2,4,6

Can karela cause abortion?

Yes, karela might cause abortion. Therefore, it is advised to avoid taking karela during pregnancy.²

Can karela be used during breastfeeding?

It is advised not to use karela during breastfeeding. Consult your doctor before using karela during breastfeeding.²

Does karela cause allergy?

Yes, karela can cause allergy, and the signs of an allergy are itching, shortness of breath, or rash. 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.⁴

Also Read: Toor Dal: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects & More!

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. Thakur M, Sharma RK. BITTER GOURD: HEALTH PROPERTIES AND VALUE ADDITION AT FARM SCALE a. 2016;1(2):2016. Available from: www.marumegh.com. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312580416_BITTER_GOURD_HEALTH_PROPERTIES_AND_VALUE_ADDITION_AT_FARM_SCALE_a

3. U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central Search Results (Edamame, frozen, prepared). 2019;1–3. Available from: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168411/nutrients

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

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

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