Bael | vital.ly

Bael

Scientific names: Aegle marmelos

Family: Rutaceae

Alternate names: Arbre de Bael, Bael Tree, Bel, Bel Indien, Bengal Quince, Bilva, Bilwa, Cognassier du Bengale, Coing du Bengale, Indian Bael, Manzana de Piedra, Membrillo de Bengala, Pomme du Bengale, Shivaduma, Shivaphala, Sripal, Stone Apple, Vilvam

Actions: Analgesic, Antidiabetic, Antidiarrheal, Antifungal, Antihistaminic, Antihyperlipidemic, Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, Antiproliferative, Antipyretic, Antiulcer, Radioprotective, Thyroidal

Scientific names: Aegle marmelos

Family: Rutaceae

Background

Bael is a plant. The unripe fruit, root, leaf, and branch are used to make medicine.

Bael is used for constipation, diarrhea, diabetes, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Safety Safety definitions

When taken by mouth: There isn't enough reliable information to know if bael is safe to use as medicine. Large amounts may cause stomach upset and constipation.

When applied to the skin: There isn't enough reliable information to know if bael is safe or what the side effects might be.

Special Precautions & Warnings:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if bael is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Diabetes: Bael might lower blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes and take medications to lower your blood sugar, adding bael might make your blood sugar drop too low. Monitor your blood sugar carefully.

Surgery: There is a concern that bael might interfere with blood sugar control during and after surgery. Stop using bael at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.

Effectiveness

NatMed Pro rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.

Insufficient evidence Effectiveness definitions

Asthma. Research shows that taking a product that contains bael fruit and boswellia gum helps people with asthma to breathe better. It's unclear if the effects are due to bael, to boswellia, or to the combination.
Illness from a Shigella bacteria infection (shigellosis). Early research shows that taking dried bael fruit powder for 3 days does not reduce the number of stools in people with diarrhea caused by an infection called shigellosis.
Constipation.
Depression.
Diabetes.
Diarrhea.
Memory.
Snakebite, when applied to the skin.
Stomach ache.
Other conditions.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of bael for these uses.

Dosing & administration

The appropriate dose of bael depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for bael. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

Interactions with pharmaceuticals

Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) substrates)

Interaction Rating=Minor Be watchful with this combination.

Some medications are changed and broken down by the liver. Bael might decrease how quickly the liver breaks down some medications. Taking bael along with some medications that are broken down by the liver can increase the effects and side effects of these medications. Before taking bael, talk to your healthcare provider if you take any medications that are changed by the liver.
Some medications that are changed by the liver include amitriptyline (Elavil), haloperidol (Haldol), ondansetron (Zofran), propranolol (Inderal), theophylline (Theo-Dur, others), verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, others), and others.

Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrates)

Interaction Rating=Minor Be watchful with this combination.

Some medications are changed and broken down by the liver. Bael might decrease how quickly the liver breaks down some medications. Taking bael along with some medications that are broken down by the liver can increase the effects and side effects of some medications. Before taking bael, talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking any medications that are changed by the liver.
Some medications changed by the liver include lovastatin (Mevacor), ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), fexofenadine (Allegra), triazolam (Halcion), and many others.

Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs)

Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.

Bael might decrease blood sugar levels. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar. Taking bael along with diabetes medications might cause your blood sugar to drop too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed.

Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.

Various medications used for glaucoma, Alzheimer disease, and other conditions (Cholinergic drugs)

Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.

Bael might increase certain chemicals in the brain, heart, and elsewhere in the body. Some medications used for glaucoma, Alzheimer disease, and other conditions also affect these chemicals. Taking bael with these medications might increase the chance of side effects.
Some of these medications used for glaucoma, Alzheimer's disease, and other conditions include pilocarpine (Pilocar and others), donepezil (Aricept), tacrine (Cognex), and others.

Interactions with herbs & supplements

Herbs and supplements that might lower blood sugar: Bael might lower blood sugar levels. Using it with other herbs or supplements that have the same effect might cause blood sugar levels to drop too low. Some herbs and supplements that can lower blood sugar include alpha-lipoic acid, chromium, devil's claw, fenugreek, garlic, guar gum, horse chestnut, Panax ginseng, psyllium, Siberian ginseng, and others.

Interactions with foods

There are no known interactions with foods.

Action

Bael contains chemicals called tannins, flavonoids, and coumarins. These chemicals help to reduce swelling (inflammation). This might help treat asthma, diarrhea, and other conditions. Also, some of these chemicals help to reduce blood sugar.

vital.ly has licensed monographs from TRC Healthcare.

This monograph was last reviewed on 31/05/2023 10:00:00 and last updated on 02/09/2020 20:15:27. Monographs are reviewed and/or updated multiple times per month and at least once per year.

Natural Medicines disclaims any responsibility related to medical consequences of using any medical product. Effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this monograph is accurate at the time it was published. Consumers and medical professionals who consult this monograph are cautioned that any medical or product related decision is the sole responsibility of the consumer and/or the health care professional. A legal License Agreement sets limitations on downloading, storing, or printing content from this Database. No reproduction of this monograph or any content from this Database is permitted without written permission from the publisher. It is unlawful to download, store, or distribute content from this site.