Medical Encyclopedia

Karela, commonly referred to as bitter gourd, comes from the Indian subcontinent as a special folk medicine used as a dietary supplement to treat one of the most spread diseases of modernity - diabetes mellitus. The main mechanism of action consists in Karela's hypoglycemic effect which manifests itself in regulating glucose levels in the body. Karela helps maintain blood sugar levels to the normal limits by suppressing neural response to sweet taste stimuli. It also contributes to cutting short sugar outflow in the urine. In general, sugar in the urine is atypical and is symptomatic of much higher than normal blood sugar levels that exceed the ability of the kidney to reabsorb glucose.

The salutary effect of Karela consists in triggering the whole endocrine system in the body by stimulating our pancreas to absorb juices and secrete pancreatic juices properly, which enables a diabetes sufferer to benefit from the essential nutrients in food required for normal body functioning. It is also beneficial in promoting digestion and supportive in metabolism of carbohydrates which are retained in the body as sugar.

The specific feature of Karela is that it ensures a multilateral aid positively affecting the functioning of many systems in the body. Thus, Karela can be used not only as an anti-diabetic drug, but also as an adjuvant medication for a number of serious diseases. In this line Karela works as an anti-tumor agent and is believed to be able to restrain HIV-1 infection. Besides, Karela can be used against worm infestation and is often prescribed as a prophylactic antihelminthic drug against parasitic attacks. Owing to its cooling and soothing action, Karela is often resorted to in treating skin-related disorders from acne and black heads to psoriasis as well as in healing wounds. Due to its purifying properties Karela also works as an emetic and purgative medicine.

Karela is rich in vitamins and minerals: iron content, calcium, potassium, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and the B complex vitamins, such as thyamine (Vitamin B1), riboflavin (Vitamin B2), niacin and nocotinamide (Vitamins B3), phosphorus and dietary fiber. In general, at least 32 energetic constituents of Karela have been recognized, among which are lutein, lectin, lycopene, beta-carotene, momordicine and the polypeptide gurmarin which is similar to bovine insulin in its composition.

Karela normally does not exert serious side-effects, but it can cause itchiness and rashes due to the body's allergic reaction. It can also cause difficulty in breathing and chest pain. Sometimes it brings about dehydration that is why it is recommended to consume liquid in quantity when taking Karela.

Karela is usually taken one to three times a day after meals unless it is otherwise prescribed by your doctor for individual reasons. Two forms of Karela are usually available: capsules and powder.

It should be noted that Karela with a number of its dramatic and marginal effects is still essentially a herbal type of treatment and is considered a supplement to diabetes therapy rather than an ultimate remedy. While supplements cannot reverse the disease by themselves, they can contribute to prevention of the associated complications. That is why all the usual measures of preventing the complications should be undertaken: glucose levels monitoring, weight reduction, improved nutrition, and moderate physical activity. Only in this case Karela proves to have its sustained positive effect.