Ampalaya (Bitter Melon): Health Benefits & Scientific Research

Ampalaya, better known as bitter melon, is a subtropical vine. Various traditional medicine systems have used it to treat ailments, and recent scientific studies have found the plant may indeed have medicinal value.

Fighting malaria

• Ampalaya may help treat malaria. A study by Makerere University found that bitter melon extended the lives of malaria-infected mice.

HIV treatment

• Though no data exists on its effect on human carriers, Mahidol University studied bitter melon's effect on HIV in a test tube. A protein from bitter melon inhibited the virus's ability to make new proteins and reproduce.

Effect on diabetes

• Bitter melon fights Type II diabetes because it increases insulin sensitivity. Proteins in the supplement also increase glucose uptake, and another component acts like insulin when ingested.

Anti-cancer properties

• A Jawaharlal Nehru University study found that bitter melon reduces cancerous tumors in mice. Other studies have suggested Ampalaya can treat leukemia, lymphoma, choriocarcinoma, Hodgkin's Disease and other cancers.

Adverse reactions

• Pregnant women should not take Ampalaya supplements. They risk bleeding, early contractions and spontaneous abortion. A compound from the melon's seed causes an enzyme deficiency that leads to abdominal pain or coma. In children, the seed causes vomiting, diarrhea or even death.