Recent research has shown that consumption of about 50gms of Kundru (Coccinia indica), helps in keeping blood sugar under control.

Little Gourd (Kundru) is an Indian Vegetable, a Gherkin like vegetable, found mostly in India, but also found in South-Asian Islands, West Indies and Hawain Islands. Shaped in the form of tiny bullets, they are green in colour, and form a part of Indian cuisines. Ayurveda refers to ‘Kundru’ as ‘Koshataki’.

A three-month study by the doctors at Bangalore’s Institute of Population Health and Clinical Research has revealed that ‘Kundru’, belonging to the family of the tasty gourd, ‘Parwal’ has the effect to reduce blood sugar levels, and has no particular gastronomic appeal, in  patients diagnosed with mild diabetes.

In their study, the team found that diabetics with a fasting blood sugar count below 200, saw that their fasting sugar levels dropped by 16% by simply tasting the curried vegetable and the post-prandial sugar levels reduced by 18%. These findings were then published in the international journal ‘Diabetes Care’.

Dr. Ganapathi Bantwal, the Associate Professor of Endocrinology, St. John’s Medical College Hospital, Bangalore, revealed that about 30 people in their initial diabetic stages, were given a capsule of one gram of frozen dried powder of ‘Kundru’, equivalent to 15gms of the vegetable, for three months. It was found that this reduced their blood sugar levels considerably, and their glycosylated haemoglobin also reduced by 0.4%.

The herb could be used in powdered or extracted form, while the leaves could be used for local application for injuries and pain. However, according to experts when cooked and consumed, the dose should be slightly higher, typically about 50grams.