Contains the same 100% bitter melon ingredient as the tea in a more convenient vegetable capsule form, ideal for people on the go, in the office or on the road.

Charantea Vegetable Capsules are vegetarian-friendly with no animal by-products used.

Each bottle contains 30 500mg capsules.

Momordica charantia is a member of the Cucurbitaceae (gourd) family, and a relative of squash, watermelon, muskmelon, and cucumber.

Known as the 'Sugar Destroyer', this herb is historically given in cases of Diabetes and related conditions for blood-sugar control. Used as a tea, decoction or food additive.

The vegetable karela or bitter gourd or hairy mordica helps to lower blood glucose levels. British researchers have called this 'plant insulin.' They have found that eating karela over long periods significantly lowers sugar levels in the blood and urine.

Throughout history, the extracts of karela have been used in natural medicine of their purifying qualities. Karela is a blood purifier, activates spleen and liver and is highly beneficial in diabetes. It is a purgative, appetizer, digestive, anti inflammatory, anti flatulent and has healing capacity.

The karela has a strong bitter taste and can be compared to taking cod liver oil by the spoonful.

'The mineral and amino acid analysis showed that the bitter gourd contained nutritionally useful quantities of the most essential mineral and amino acids. The blood sugar once lowered after 30 days did not increase even after 15 days of discontinuation of the treatment.'* *Journal of Ethnopharmacology 15(1):107-17 1986 Jan.

'Investigations were carried out to evaluate the effect of Momordica charantia on the glucose tolerance of maturity onset diabetic patients. The juice of Momordia charantia was found to significantly improve the glucose tolerance of 73% of the patients investigated while the other 27% failed to respond.'* *Journal of Ethnopharmacology 17(3):277-82 1986 Sept.

'The effect of Karela (Momordica charantia), a fruit indigenous to South America and Asia, on glucose and insulin concentrations was studied in nine non-insulin-dependent diabetics and six non-diabetic rats. These results show that karela improves glucose tolerance in diabetes. Doctors supervising Asian diabetics should be aware of the fruit's hypoglycemic properties.'* *British Medical Journal-Clinical Research 282(6279); 1823-4 1981 June 6.

'An aqueous extract from the unripe fruits of the tropical plant Momordica charantia was found to be potent stimulator of insulin release from beta cell rich pancreatic islets isolated from obese-hyperglycemic mice. Studies of 45 Ca fluxes suggest that the insulin releasing action is a result of perturbations of membrane functions. In support for the idea of direct effects on membrane lipids, the action of the extract was found to mimic that of saponin.'* *Acta Biologica et Medica Germanica 41(12):1229-40 1982.

'The Bitter Melon or Balsam Pear, is cultivated as a tropical vegetable in South America, Asia, and Africa where it has been used as a traditional therapy for diabetes in a variety of cultures of these countries. Further investigation has confirmed the ability of the fresh juice from the unripe fruit of the bitter melon to lower blood sugar. One isolate of Momorica, Charantin is a mixture of steroidal glycosides and compares favorably to tolbutamide, an allopathic drug commonly used as a oral hypoglycemic agent. Another isolate, polypeptide-P has been shown to lower blood glucose when administered via subcutaneous injections. A variety of oral extracts have been shown to lower blood sugar and improve glucose tolerance in both human and animal studies. Evidence suggests that a constituent in Momordica, or the sum of all the constituents have an insulin-like activity themselves and do not directly alter existing insulin levels.'* *Chakravarthy BK, Gupa S, and Gode KD: Functional beta cell regeneration in the islets of Pancreas in alloxan induced dibetic rats by epicatechin. Life Sc 31:2693-7, 1982

Ever mindful that much of an herb's natural properties can be lost in the manufacturing process, we strive to keep as much of the Bitter Melon's natural form intact. Carefully selected Bitter Melon fruits are put through a special dehydration process that locks in the Bitter Melon's vital elements. These are then cut and ground to fill our tea bags and capsules, ensuring that the same Bitter Melon goodness is present in both products.

From growing and harvesting of the fruits, to the drying process and packaging, every stage in the production of Charantea follows current Good Manufacturing Practices and the strictest quality control. The result is a modern-day dietary supplement that is safe, reliable and effective.