GROWING
ORGANIC AMPALAYA FOR DIABETES
Felix B. Daray
LIKE
MANY PEOPLE , my favorite pastime is gardening. It is my relief from stress and
source of joy, especially when it’s harvest time.
These days, I am growing organic ampalaya in my
backyard . It is also called bitter mellon or papailla. Its scientific name is
momordica charantia.
I enjoy sharing my harvest with my friends and
neighbors. Likewise, I like to impart my little knowledge on it.
I suggest to those who plan to grow ampalaya in the
backyard to plant it in an area that is exposed to sunlight. They should also
plant the crop near a compost pit. Eight months after the biodegradable waste
decomposed, sow two seeds near the pit.
As soon as the vines start growing and crawling up on
the trellis, water the plant with rice wash or fish wash or meat wash from the
kitchen. It would be best for the plants as they are very rich in nutrients and
minerals.
To prevent pest infestation, bag the fruits with
cellophane or old newsprints as soon as the flowers fall down. Doing so would
hinder sucking insects and fruit flies to lay eggs on the young fruits.
I also inspect my ampalaya plants every morning to see
if there are tiny holes or scratches on the leaves. These are indications that
the plants are infested by pin worms or cutworms, which I remove manually .I
also suggest that biodegradable waste be burned under the trellis in the early
morning or late afternoon as the smoke will drive insects away.
In fact, I grow the native variety as it is resistant
to pest. It is shorter to other cultivars but it has thicker pulp.
I start to harvest after 45 days. And for about 90
days from the first harvest, I pick one to two fruits every other day. Like
most households, my family often cooks pinakbet or ampalaya with egg. And we
don’t mind its bitter taste as we know; it’s because ampalaya contains
momordicin, a compound found to be effective in treating diabetes.
To
prepare ampalaya extract, the Department of Health (DOH) suggests the following
steps:
• Wash and finely chop ampalaya leaves
• Add six tablespoons of the chopped leaves in two glasses of
water
• Boil the mixture for 15 minutes in an uncovered pot
• Cool down and strain
• Drink 1/3 cup of the solution three times a day.
Alternately,
ampalaya tops can be steamed and eaten (1/2 cup twice a day).
Incidentally,
the standard treatment for controlling type 2 diabetes includes diet, exercise
and anti-diabetic medications. Hence, regular intake of ampalaya alone will not
be able to control the blood sugar of most diabetics. People with the disease
must still exercise and stick to a diabetic diet. Furthermore, for many
diabetics, other medicines might have to be taken. In any case, regular intake
of ampalaya will, at the least, lower the dose requirements for other
anti-diabetic drugs.
The
blood sugar lowering property of ampalaya is attributed to its content of
momordicin, a substance that is sometimes called plant insulin. This is also the
substance that is responsible for the bitter taste of the plant’s leaves and
fruits.
As to
the other medicinal properties of ampalaya, books and articles on Philippine
medicinal plants list several diseases where the plant is apparently
beneficial. Reportedly, extracts from the leaves or roots shrink hemorrhoids.
The leaf extract is supposedly also a good antitussive (i.e., anti-cough) and
antipyretic (i.e., for fever). Likewise, it is purportedly, a good purgative.
Clinical
Studies for Ampalaya or Bitter Melon demonstrated hypoglycemic properties
(blood sugar lowering) or other actions of potential benefit against diabetes
mellitus. The leaves and fruits are excellent sources of Vitamin B, iron,
calcium, and phosphorus. It is also rich in beta carotene.
So try this, growing organically in your
backyard. It’s simple, needs only little time and effort.
