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Dietary supplement

Karelahills Ingredients & Drug Interactions

by Herbal Hills

Capsule Category: Botanical
Most serious interaction: Moderate
The interaction bottom line Most serious interaction: Moderate

Karelahills is a dietary supplement by Herbal Hills with 1 active ingredient. Its ingredients are commonly taken for blood sugar support, diabetes, digestive complaints.Based on those ingredients, 282 medications have a known interaction with it, the most serious rated moderate. The ingredients most likely to interact are {Bitter Gourd} Blend. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.

HelloPharmacist Scorecard of Karelahills by Herbal Hills

Our pharmacy team’s full take, with four database checks built into the cards below — a summary of what is known, not a grade of the product itself.

From our pharmacy team — supplement deep dive

What’s inside

Low disclosure
Ingredient Transparency · database check
Low

Most active ingredients don't disclose an individual amount — you can't tell how much of each you're getting.

Why this rating?
  • The label discloses an exact amount for 0 of its 2 active ingredients.
  • “{Bitter Gourd} Blend” is a proprietary blend — the label gives one combined amount (450 mg) without saying how much of each component you get.

Karelahills contains 2 active ingredients, both forms of bitter gourd (bitter melon): the fruit extract and the fruit powder. Bitter melon is a tropical plant traditionally used in Ayurvedic and herbal medicine; the whole fruit, seeds, and leaves have been studied for various health purposes.

The product also contains three inactive ingredients — magnesium stearate, silica, and a gelatin capsule — that serve as binders, flow agents, and the capsule shell.

Does it work?

Not established
Evidence for Intended Use · database check
By FDA rules, dietary supplements can’t claim to treat, cure, or prevent disease — so labels speak in careful marketing language. We discern each product’s intended use from its name, label claims, and label statements, then grade the clinical evidence for that use. How these ratings are computed
Not established

The graded evidence we hold for these ingredients covers different conditions than the ones this product is marketed for, so there's no established rating for its stated use — see Bitter Melon's own graded uses on its monograph.

Why this rating?
  • The label markets this product for: healthy blood sugar.
  • We looked for evidence on: Diabetes, Impaired glucose tolerance (prediabetes), Metabolic syndrome, Blood glucose control, Glycemic management.
  • The closest evidence on file: Bitter Melon is rated "Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate" for Diabetes (Natural Medicines).
  • Also on file: Bitter Melon is rated "Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate" for Impaired glucose tolerance (prediabetes), Metabolic syndrome.

The evidence we hold doesn't establish that bitter melon works for any of the conditions it's traditionally used for — including amenorrhea, athletic performance, liver disease, constipation, diabetes, or indigestion (dyspepsia). For all of these, the data shows insufficient reliable evidence to rate effectiveness.

That doesn't mean it doesn't work; it means the studies we have aren't strong enough to say. If you're considering this product for a specific health goal, talk it over with your doctor or pharmacist about whether the evidence supports its use for your situation.

The evidence, ingredient by ingredient Bitter Melon

How safe is it?

Well-documented data
Safety Information · database check
Well characterized

Adverse-effect, pregnancy, and general safety data are on file for most of these ingredients.

Why this rating?
  • We hold adverse-effect (side-effect) data for 1 of the 1 matched ingredient.
  • Pregnancy & breastfeeding safety ratings cover 1 of 1.
  • General safety write-ups exist for 1 of 1.
  • Remember: this measures how much safety information exists. Thin data is not the same as being safe.

Bitter melon is generally well tolerated when eaten as food, but supplement doses may lower your blood sugar and cause stomach upset. The most common side effects in studies were gastrointestinal — heartburn, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, gas, and belly discomfort — occurring in about 3% to 16% of people.

Rare serious effects include hypoglycemic coma (very low blood sugar) and seizures in children. One case report documented kidney inflammation (acute interstitial nephritis) after months of high-dose bitter melon; kidney function returned to normal after stopping the supplement.

During pregnancy, the safety data advises against this product because the seeds and high doses may cause harm to the uterus or the pregnancy itself. There isn't enough reliable safety information to use it while breastfeeding.

If you're pregnant, planning pregnancy, or breastfeeding, talk with your doctor or pharmacist before taking this.

Side effects, ingredient by ingredient Bitter Melon

Meds to double-check

Moderate interaction found
Known Interaction Concern · database check
Moderate identified

The most serious documented interaction for these ingredients is Moderate. Check your medications for a personalized result.

Why this rating?
  • 1 of the 1 matched ingredient can interact with medications — Bitter Melon.
  • The most serious interaction on file is rated Moderate.
  • Some involve high-stakes drug classes: diabetes medications.
  • For scale: 282 individual medications appear in the full list. A big number alone doesn't make a product dangerous — what matters is whether YOUR medication is on it, so run yours through the interaction checker on this page.

Before taking Karelahills, check with your doctor or pharmacist if you take any antidiabetes medications (insulin, metformin, sulfonylureas, or others) — bitter melon may lower blood sugar further and increase hypoglycemia risk. Also confirm with them if you take any medications that depend on a cellular intestinal pump (P-glycoprotein substrates; many cancer drugs, heart drugs, and immunosuppressants fall here) or if you take pazopanib (Votrient) for cancer.

No other interactions are documented for the inactive ingredients.

Check your own medication Run your meds through the checker above

The bottom line

Scorecard at a glanceFormula with limited ingredient disclosure with no established evidence rating for its marketed use. Moderate medication interactions have been identified, and safety information is well characterized.

Karelahills is a two-ingredient bitter melon supplement. The evidence we hold doesn't establish it works for its traditional uses — amenorrhea, diabetes, digestion, and others — so effectiveness remains unproven.

More importantly, if you take blood sugar–lowering drugs, drugs absorbed via a cellular pump, or pazopanib for cancer, this product poses a Moderate interaction risk and requires your doctor's or pharmacist's approval. Even without those medications, expect possible stomach upset, and don't use it in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Educational only — not medical advice; always confirm with your pharmacist. Our editorial policy · How we use AI

Assessment coverage: 2 of 2 active ingredients matched to our full ingredient reviews (monographs). Based on the product label dated Jan 25, 2013.

This Scorecard evaluates available label information, ingredient evidence, and known medication-safety considerations. It does not independently verify product identity, purity, potency, contamination, or manufacturing quality. How these ratings are computed

At a glance

General information

Key facts about Karelahills, straight from the product label.

Brand Herbal Hills
Barcode (UPC) 8906008264760
Net contents 60 Capsule(s)
Market status On market
Date entered into DSLD Jan 25, 2013
DSLD ID 16398
Product type Botanical
Supplement form Capsule
Dietary claims / uses All Other, Structure/Function
Intended target group(s) Adult (18 - 50 Years)
From the label
Everything in this section is reproduced from the manufacturer’s own product label — it’s the label speaking, not HelloPharmacist. We show it so you can see exactly what the maker states; we don’t verify or endorse those statements.

Supplement Facts

The label details for Karelahills by Herbal Hills, sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

Supplement Facts

Daily Value (DV) Target Group(s):
Adults and children 4 or more years of age
Minimum serving Sizes:
1 Capsule(s)
Maximum serving Sizes:
1 Capsule(s)
UPC/BARCODE
8906008264760
IngredientAmount% DV
Bitter Gourd fruit extract0 NP--
{Bitter Gourd} Blend450 mg--
Bitter Gourd fruit powder0 NP--

Other ingredients: Magnesium Stearate, Silica, Gelatin Capsule

Tap any ingredient to jump to its full detail below.

Label statements
These statements are the manufacturer’s wording, reproduced from the product label — the label is saying it, not HelloPharmacist. We don’t verify or endorse them.
Suggested/Recommended/Usage/Directions

Direction for use : As a dietary supplement take 1 each of Diabohills tablet, Jambuhills Capsule & Karelahills Capsule twice daily preferably before meals or as recommended by the Healthcare Practitioner. It should ideally be taken on empty stomach. For better results it should be taken with warm water.

Brand IP Statement(s)

Karelahills(R)

HERBAL HILLS(R) Back to Nature

General Statements

Healthy Blood Sugar

Herbal Formulation with Herbal Dietary Supplement for Speedy, Effective & Complete Result

Kit Content

Not intended for sale of individual units. Multipiece package

Seals/Symbols

EXTRACT STANDARDIZED EXTRACT

GMP Good Manufacturing Practice

ISO 22000:2005 CERTIFIED COMPANY

HERBALHILLS

Formula

2% Bitter

FDA Statement of Identity

Dietary Supplement

FDA Disclaimer Statement

This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Precautions

Caution : Pregnant or lactating women are advised to consume herbal products under the advice of the Healthcare Practitioner.

See for yourself

Karelahills by Herbal Hills label

The label scan from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Tap to enlarge.

What’s inside

The Ingredients in Karelahills by Herbal Hills

This is the 1 active ingredient this product is made of. Select it to open its full monograph.

Serving size1 Capsule(s) Dosage formCapsule Amounts shown are per serving.

{Bitter Gourd} Blend

Interacts with
282 drugs
450 mg per serving Form: Bitter {Gourd}

Bitter melon is a tropical fruit eaten as food and used in traditional medicine, most often for blood sugar control. While some small studies hint it...

{Bitter Gourd} Blend monograph & interactions

Other (inactive) ingredients: Magnesium Stearate, Silica, Gelatin Capsule. These complete the product’s ingredient list but are not active constituents.

Interaction report

Karelahills by Herbal Hills Drug Interactions

Want to check YOUR meds against Karelahills?

Ask about interactions with your drugs in plain English — “Can I take it with lisinopril?” — and we find you the answer in seconds, ingredient by ingredient.

Go to the checker
282Drugs
282 Moderate

Ingredients driving the most interactions

Each ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects

For each ingredient in Karelahills with known interactions, here are the types of medications it can affect. Open any type for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

{Bitter Gourd} Blend3 drug types · 282 drugs

Antidiabetes Drugs

Taking bitter melon with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Bitter melon can lower blood glucose levels and might have additive effects when used with antidiabetes drugs. This might increase the risk of hypoglycemia in some patients. Monitor blood glucose levels closely.

Likelihood Probable Evidence B
P-Glycoprotein Substrates

Theoretically, bitter melon might increase levels of P-glycoprotein substrates.
Bitter melon might inhibit the p-glycoprotein (P-gp) intestinal pump and increase intracellular levels of P-gp substrates. In vitro research in intestinal cells shows that 1-monopalmitin, a constituent of bitter melon, increases levels of daunomycin, a P-gp substrate. Additionally, drinking bitter melon juice has been associated with a case of acute pancreatitis in a patient who had been taking pazopanib, a P-gp substrate, for 8 years. Researchers theorize that inhibition of P-gp led to increased levels of pazopanib, resulting in pazopanib-induced pancreatitis.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Pazopanib (Votrient)

Theoretically, bitter melon might increase levels of pazopanib, potentially increasing the risk of adverse effects.
In one case, a 65-year-old patient taking pazopanib for 8 years for renal cell carcinoma experienced signs and symptoms consistent with acute pancreatitis 4 days after drinking bitter melon juice at a dose of 100-150 mL daily. The patient's symptoms, amylase levels, and lipase levels improved upon discontinuation of bitter melon and pazopanib. Pazopanib treatment was re-initiated with no further evidence of pancreatitis. Researchers theorize that inhibition of P-glycoprotein by bitter melon led to increased levels of pazopanib, a P-glycoprotein substrate, resulting in pazopanib-induced pancreatitis.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
The maker

Brand information

Manufacturer and brand details for Karelahills, from the product label.

Herbal Hills

See all Herbal Hills products
Name
Isha Agro Developers Pvt. Ltd.
Street Address
55-A/B, Lonavala Indl. Co-op. Est. Ltd.
City
Nangargaon
State
Lonavala
Phone Number
0091 22 2868 6868
Web Address
www.herbalhills.in
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Karelahills by Herbal Hills: Common Questions

Does Karelahills by Herbal Hills interact with any medications?
Yes. Based on its ingredients, Karelahills has a known interaction with 282 medications. Use the checker to see how it interacts with a specific drug.
How can one product interact with so many drugs?
Karelahills contains a single active ingredient, and that one ingredient can interact with many different medications on its own. We check it against each medication and show the mechanism responsible.
Where does this information come from?
The product label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD); the interaction data is built on the Natural Medicines database and reviewed by HelloPharmacist pharmacists.
What is bitter melon, and what's it supposed to do?
Bitter melon is a tropical fruit used traditionally in Ayurvedic and herbal medicine. It's been studied for diabetes, digestion, liver health, and other conditions, but the evidence we hold for those uses isn't strong enough to call it proven.
Can I take this if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding?
The safety data advises against it in pregnancy because the seeds and high doses may cause harm. There also isn't enough reliable safety information for breastfeeding. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before use.
What side effects should I expect?
The most common are stomach-related — heartburn, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, gas, and belly discomfort — reported in about 3% to 16% of people in studies. Rare serious effects include very low blood sugar (especially in children) and, in one case, kidney inflammation.
Will this help my blood sugar if I have diabetes?
The evidence we hold shows insufficient reliable evidence to say whether bitter melon works for diabetes. And if you already take diabetes medication, combining this product with your drugs raises your risk of low blood sugar, so you'd need your doctor's close supervision.
Does it matter that this has two forms of bitter melon in it?
Both the extract and the powder are the same herb — bitter melon — so they carry the same interactions and side effects. The product is simply using both forms together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Not sure if Karelahills is safe with your meds?

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Label information is sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database and reflects the product version on file; always read your actual product label. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Confirm with your pharmacist or doctor before combining supplements and medications.

Karelahills label
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Karelahills's label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database; the ingredient interaction data is from the Natural Medicines database, reviewed by our pharmacists.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

The 18 references behind this product’s interaction data

Every citation that drives the interaction findings for this product’s ingredients, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Open an ingredient to browse its citations — links open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

Bitter Melon 18 references
  1. Leatherdale B, Panesar RK, Singh G, et al. Improvement in glucose tolerance due to Momordica charantia. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1981;282:1823-4.
  2. Welihinda J, et al. Effect of Momordica charantia on the glucose tolerance in maturity onset diabetes. J Ethnopharmacol 1986;17:277-82. PubMed
  3. Srivastava Y, Venkatakrishna-Bhatt H, Verma Y, et al. Antidiabetic and adaptogenic properties of Momordica charantia extract: An experimental and clinical evaluation. Phytother Res 1993;7:285-9.
  4. Baldwa VS, Bhandari CM, Pangaria A, Goyal RK. Clinical trial in patients with diabetes mellitus of an insulin-like compound obtained from plant sources. Ups J Med Sci 1977;82:39-41. PubMed
  5. Aslam M, Stockley IH. Interaction between curry ingredient (karela) and drug (chlorpropamide). Lancet 1979:1:607. PubMed
  6. Ahmad N, Hassan MR, Halder H, Bennoor KS. Effect of Momordica charantia (Karolla) extracts on fasting and postprandial serum glucose levels in NIDDM patients (abstract). Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull 1999;25:11-3.
  7. Basch E, Gabardi S, Ulbricht C. Bitter melon (Momordica charantia): a review of efficacy and safety. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2003;60:356-9. PubMed
  8. Yin RV, Lee NC, Hirpara H, Phung OJ. T. The effect of bitter melon (Mormordica charantia) in patients with diabetes mellitus: s systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr Diabetes. 2014;4:e145.
  9. Rahman IU, Khan RU, Rahman KU, Bashir M. Lower hypoglycemic but higher antiatherogenic effects of bitter melon than glibenclamide in type 2 diabetic patients. Nutr J. 2015;14:13. PubMed
  10. Alam MA, Uddin R, Subhan N, Rahman MM, Jain P, Reza HM. Beneficial role of bitter melon supplementation in obesity and related complications in metabolic syndrome. J Lipids. 2015;2015:496169. PubMed
  11. Konishi T, Satsu H, Hatsugai Y, et al. Inhibitory effect of a bitter melon extract on the P-glycoprotein activity in intestinal Caco-2 cells. Br J Pharmacol. 2004;143(3):379-87. PubMed
  12. Peter EL, Kasali FM, Deyno S, et al. Momordica charantia L. lowers elevated glycaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: Systematic review and meta-analysis. J Ethnopharmacol. 2019;231:311-24. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2018.10.033. PubMed
  13. Cortez-Navarrete M, Martínez-Abundis E, Pérez-Rubio KG, González-Ortiz M, Méndez-Del Villar M. Momordica charantia administration improves insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes mellitus. J Med Food. 2018;21(7):672-7. doi: 10.108
  14. Kim SK, Jung J, Jung JH, et al. Hypoglycemic efficacy and safety of Momordica charantia (bitter melon) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Complement Ther Med. 2020 Aug;52:102524. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102524. PubMed
  15. Unsal O, Sütcüoglu O, Yazici O. Dangerous interaction of bitter melon (Momordica charantia) with pazopanib: a case of acute pancreatitis. J Oncol Pharm Pract 2022;28(2):486-8.
  16. Bae W, Kim S, Choi J, et al. Acute interstitial nephritis associated with ingesting a Momordica charantia extract: a case report. Medicine (Baltimore) 2021;100(27):e26606. PubMed
  17. Chattopadhyay K, Wang H, Kaur J, et al. Effectiveness and Safety of Ayurvedic Medicines in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:821810. Published 2022 Jun 8. PubMed
  18. Kim B, Lee HS, Kim HJ, et al. Momordica charantia (bitter melon) efficacy and safety on glucose metabolism in Korean prediabetes participants: a 12-week, randomized clinical study. Food Sci Biotechnol 2022;32(5):697-704. PubMed

See these in context on the Bitter Melon monograph →

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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