Ampalaya comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. The typical Chinese phenotype is 20 to 30 cm long, oblong with bluntly tapering ends and pale green in color, with a gently undulating, warty surface.
Ampalaya is a remarkable health food.As the English name suggests (bitter melon), the melon has a bitter taste due to the presence of momordicin. Ampalaya is a vegetable grown throughout the Philippines. It is mostly cultivated, although wild forms can be found. the Ampalaya is both a nutritious vegetable and a trusted medicinal herb that grows abundant in many regions in Asia and South America.
Today, the Bitter Melon is well-accepted as a useful supplement and is readily available in many commercial variants all over the world. Bitter melons are seldom mixed with other vegetables due to the strong bitter taste, although this can be moderated to some extent by salting and then washing the cut melon before use. Ampalaya, until recently has been proven to be an effective herbal medicine for many aliments. Most significant of which is for Diabetes. Ampalaya contains a mixture of flavanoids and alkaloids make the Pancreas produce more insulin that controls the blood sugar in diabetics.
Aside from Ampalaya's medicinal value, it is good source of vitamins A, B and C, iron, folic acid, phosphorous and calcium. Ampalaya is also rich in antioxidants that protect the cells of the body from damage of free radicals (metabolic by-products, usually waste). Ampalaya is noted to be an effective component in herbal medicine, and the fruit is known to help treat, or alleviate the symptoms of rheumatism and gout and ailments of the spleen and liver. The traditional remedy is made by pounding the raw fruits into a bitter liquid, or by boiling the leaves and fruits for a few minutes, the resulting water then drank as a herbal tea.
As the acrimonious fruit is renowned for its many healthful attributes. For coughing, fever, worms, diarrhea, diabetes, drink a spoonful every day of grounded and juiced ampalaya leaves. For new health conditions, the fruit and leaves can both be juiced and taken orally. For wounds, burns and new rind diseases, you may use the fruit's warmed leaves to the stricken region. Taking juice made from acrimonious gourd too helps in the handling of impairment, which is mainly caused by unsound eating habits and regular dietary practices. This fruit not simply is better at relieving an indigestive circumstance, but too aids in treating impairment.
