24 Top Health Benefits of Ampalaya (No. 12 is Excellent!)

When you heard “Ampalaya”, then you may feel unfamiliar to this word. As the consequence, Ampalaya or known as bitter melon or bitter gourd is a common cuisine for Indian. It is also known as Momordica charantia as its scientific name and balsam pear as its English name. Ampalaya also belongs to Cucurbitaceae. This edible fruit is also famous to every Filipino and has been widely used for medicinal purposes. Moreover, this plant grows well in Asia, Africa, South America, and India.

Ampalaya has unique characteristics as it has dark green color and looks like a cucumber or zucchini with warts. Besides, this vegetable has an “acquired taste” and is commonly being soaked in salt water to remove the bitterness. Ampalaya also famous for its benefit as the natural medication treatments. The fruits, leaves, and seeds can be used as the nutritional supplements as well.

As the consequence, if you want to discover what benefits that ampalaya offers to you, then you can have a look at the health benefits of ampalaya below.

1.Have Antioxidant Source

Many green vegetables and fruits which have great antioxidant source and promotes the overall body health as well. In this case, do you know that ampalaya has a great antioxidant source? Well, due to the presence of vitamin C in ampalaya, then it acts as the antioxidant which helps to prevent free radicals damage for sure. At this point, ampalaya can help to cure colds as it builds great immune system.

2.Prevents Free Radicals

As ampalaya rich in quercetin, then it has shown many great benefits to the body. It is shown that quercetin is a kind of flavonoid compound which acts as the antioxidant. This one works well to prevent the damage of free radical which is associated with the presence of certain diseases and the aging process. As a result, it will help to protect the body against the risks of cancer and other health problems for sure. Hence, consuming ampalaya as your food option may result in positive effects as it offers you great health benefits.

3.Acts as Anti-Inflammatory

Due to the presence of antioxidant nutrients, then ampalaya is a good candidate to act as the anti-inflammatory. With this, ampalaya becomes the great one which is maintaining overall body health. At this point, ampalaya helps to prevent the presence of bacteria, viruses, and other bad pathogens as well. Also, it is known that anti-inflammatory is the one who plays a role in preventing risks of cancer and other health problems like arthritis as well.

4.Boosts Immune System

What people need is the strong immune system in order to prevent the presence of certain diseases. To obtain the great immune system, you can consume great foods like dairy products, fruits, and vegetables. As the consequence, one of health benefits of ampalaya is by being helpful to boost the immune system. Consequently, ampalaya is such a great food to protect the body against risks of diseases. Also, by being an immune booster, then ampalaya will help to prevent the cold and infection in the body.

5.Source of Calcium

It is shown that ampalaya contains the source of calcium. This nutrient is known as the major key for getting great bones structure and density. At this point, if you want to have great bones, then you can have ampalaya as it provides a great source of calcium. Indeed, you can obtain the calcium nutrient from another source of food instead of having the milk and other dairy products.

6.Source of Iron

Not only for providing the good source of calcium, but ampalaya is also good to provide the source of iron. Iron is an essential mineral to increase the energy level in the body as well as promoting better athletic performance. For the tips, you can consume ampalaya together with spinach, beef liver, and chickpeas to fulfill the iron nutrients in the body. Otherwise, lack of iron nutrients may lead to certain health problems including anemia and poor body temperature regulation. Then, it is recommended to consume ampalaya and iron foods to prevent the risks of certain diseases.

Related: Health Benefits of Iron

7.Source of Phosphorus

Next, ampalaya provides a good source of phosphorus. This one is really valuable to promote healthy bone formation. It also helps to maintain the protein formation as well as repairing cell in the body. In addition, it is also beneficial to balance the body hormones. In another hand, deficiency of phosphorus may lead the presence of weak bones and discomfort in body joints.

8.Prevents Infection

Infection is the one who can lead another disease to the body. There are many factors which can result in infection. However, the presence of bacteria and viruses is the thing that takes the major role. As the consequence, the presence of vitamin C and antioxidant nutrients makes ampalaya becomes a good one in preventing infection. At this point, ampalaya leaves also good to treat skin infections. This benefit is also associated with the removing process of parasites within the body. Thus, if you want getting your body rid of the infection, then you can consume ampalaya as a way out.

9.Helps Losing Weight

To control the weight management, you should do exercise regularly as well as consuming best foods. At this point, ampalaya shows the positive result in helping lose some weight. This benefit is linked to the appetite suppressor. In this case, ampalaya has lectin, a substance which obtains a non-hungry effect.

Not only for that, ampalaya has low calories which are great for those who wish for the best ideal body. Further, it is rich in fiber which enables to control and lose some weight for sure. In addition, makes sure that your diet is completely healthy as you can eat the best diet food such as green vegetables.

10.Promotes Digestion System

Why should we maintain the work of digestion system by consuming best foods? Well, the answer state that digestion system plays a major role in promoting the body health. Digestion system has a role in absorbing the nutrients contained in our foods. The better digestion system works then the great nutrients will be absorbed by the body. Hence, your body will be healthier and stronger for sure.

In the same way, due to te presence of fiber and high water content, ampalaya becomes a good one which can maintain the bowel movement. With the presence of fiber, it will help to clean the colon and preventing constipation. As a result, you can have ampalaya tea for obtaining healthy digestion system.

11.Treats Constipation

As explained before, ampalaya can help to promote the healthy digestion system. As the consequence, ampalaya is good to treat constipation. At this point, ampalaya will help to improve the absorption of food in the intestines. Further, it helps to promote the movement of the gastrointestinal tract as well. Hence, if you suffer from constipation, then having ampalaya may help you.

12.Treats Diabetes

Nowadays, people have more concern to deal with diseases including diabetes. We know that diabetes is a chronic disease so that we reduce the sugar consumption in our food. However, we should also find out what things which are great to be applied as the treatment of diabetes.

At this point, ampalaya is the popular one which can help to treat diabetes for sure. It is known that ampalaya helps to lower the blood sugar level which indicates a good process of diabetes treatment. As the consequence, this blood sugar lowering effect can be attributed to Charantin, Vicine, and Polypeptide-p.Furthermore, ampalaya provides an insulin-like peptide called as charantim which is beef; to deal with diabetes.

13.Lowers Cholesterol Level

Considering that the presence of high level of bad cholesterol in the body is harmful, then we need to find the prevention of this case. As a matter of fact, people control their food consumption in order to lower the cholesterol level in the body. Indeed, their actions are linked to the prevention of heart disease. Then, at this point, ampalaya tea shows the positive result in providing the lipid-lowering activity which helps to lower cholesterol level. With this function, ampalaya really helps to prevent the occurrence of heart diseases such as heart attack and stroke. As a result, applying healthy lifestyle means a good life, right?

14.Prevents Cancer

One of great health benefits of ampalaya is the way it helps preventing cancer. It is known that ampalaya contains excellent antioxidant nutrients which help to protect the body against viruses and bacteria. Similarly, ampalaya may help in reducing the growth of cancer cell in the body. Also, the flavonoid contained in ampalaya helps to prevent the damage of free radicals including the presence of cancer cells. Thus, you can start consuming ampalaya regularly to get the best health benefits from it.

15.Treats Tumor

The tumor is a chronic disease which needs more knowledge to prevent and treat it. As a result, all we can do to treat this kind of diseases is by consuming best foods and applying healthy lifestyle. Then, surprisingly, ampalaya has the great benefit for our body. Ampalaya has shown its benefit to cure some tumor in the uterus, dysmenorrhea, and hormonal imbalance. As a result, you can add ampalaya to your dish to get the benefits from it.

16.Promotes Heart Health

As described before, ampalaya takes part in lowering cholesterol level in the body. At this point, ampalaya has a role in preventing the risks of heart disease including heart attack and stroke. Then, it is shown that ampalaya extract has the ability to remove the LDL or “bad” cholesterol. Not only for that, ampalaya is valuable to relax vascular system walls which promote the blood circulation in the body. With those great benefits, indeed ampalaya is a great one to boost the work of the body system.

17.Promotes Liver Health

In fact, we know that liver is the important part of our body. Ast this point, we have to consume best foods to promote the liver health as well. The food that we have eaten must contain the nutrients which help to promote the detoxification. Indeed, by detoxifying the body, the liver will be from the presence of toxins. And this means very good to the body health.

After that, ampalaya is not only the one which has a role in promoting digestion system and promotes heart health. It turns out that ampalaya is good for liver health. Consequently, ampalaya is the one that stimulates the liver for proper secretion of bile juices. With this function, ampalaya is the essential one to help the work of body metabolism.

18.Treats Eye Problems

What is great from ampalaya is the way it can treat eye problems. The presence of great antioxidants helps to promote the eyes health. As the consequence, antioxidant contained in ampalaya can help to deal with the sore eye. As a result, you may have to consume ampalaya regularly in order to prevent eyes problems. In addition, to promote the eye health, you can consume vitamin A foods like the carrot for preventing other eyes problems like macular degeneration.

Related: Health Benefits of Red Spinach

19.Treats Respiratory Problems

Ampalaya is being a good natural treatment for our body. This one help to prevent and cure certain health problems. Indeed, it is associated with the presence of excellent nutrients contained in it. Therefore, ampalaya is beneficial to treat respiratory problems. Thus, if you want to have a natural treatment for asthma, bronchitis, and cough, then you can have ampalaya to be consumed for sure.

Related: Symptoms of Asthma

20.Treats Rheumatism and Gout

Not only for treating the respiratory problems, but ampalaya is also useful to treat rheumatism and gout. At this point, these benefits also come perform the work of great antioxidant nutrients contained. As a result, consuming ampalaya would result in positive effects as it also plays a role to be natural medications for rheumatism and gout.

Now you know the health benefits of ampalaya, then ampalaya still have other benefits which are in beauty aspects. Hence, if you are curious what are the beauty benefits of ampalaya, then feel free to check the list below.

Ampalaya for Beauty Treatments

21.Promotes Skin Health

Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants enables ampalaya to do some great things for the sake of the body health. As a result, it is shown that vitamin C and antioxidants are the major keys to preventing the signs of earlier aging. Indeed, they work well to reduce the presence of wrinkles on the face. Moreover, ampalaya shows the positive result in preventing the blemishes, acne, and spots on the face. Furthermore, by consuming ampalaya you will get the great health benefits and also the natural beauty benefits as well.

22.Relieves Wounds and Burns

Not only to promote the beauty skin, but ampalaya also has the benefit of relieving the skin surface’s problems. Consequently, since many years ago, ampalaya is believed to be the natural treatment for wounds and burns. For this reason, the one who works well or this benefit is vitamin C and antioxidants. They work together in speeding up the healing process of wounds and burns. As a result, you can have ampalaya juice and apply it to the skin surface.

23.Treats Psoriasis

Due to the presence of anti-fungal properties, ampalaya shows the positive result in treating psoriasis. This ampalaya plant has shown that it can be a good treatment for fungal infections including athlete’s foot and fungi. Thus, now you have no doubt to have ampalaya for the food consumption as it offers you a great range of excellent benefits for sure.

24.Promotes Hair Health

Next, ampalaya has a role in promoting the physical apperance such as promoting the hair health. At this point, you can have ampalaya juice as a hair shampoo or a hair mask. Use it once per week for getting best results. With the good usage of ampalaya shampoo, then it is believed that you will have the beauty and healthy hair. Moreover, ampalaya can help to deal with dandruff, tangled and split ends. What is even great that ampalaya can be the treatment for gray hair and hair fall issues. Then, having ampalaya in your kitchen is a great way to get the natural benefits for sure.

After that, now you can have a look at the tips for consuming ampalaya below.

Tips for Consuming

You can buy ampalaya in the Asian or Chinese market, herb shops, and health food stores as well. Then, pick the one has the fresh appearance for sure.
Then, wash ampalaya under the running water to remove any presence of debris. After that, store the ampalaya or bitter melon at the container or simply put it in the refrigerator to make it last for a week.
Next, to deal with the bitterness of ampalaya, you can wash or boil the ampalaya in the water with salt. You also can add herbal spices for having good flavorings for the ampalaya dish.
For the recipe tips, you can cook ampalaya with meat and another kind of delicious dishes.
Last, it is recommended to have ampalaya tea in moderate. Also, it is advised to not drink ampalaya tea for those who suffer from liver issues due to the unsafe condition which may affect your liver. Further, if you have the abdominal discomfort, bloating and diarrhea after drinking ampalaya tea, then it is better to stop the consumption and consult your doctor.

To conclude, ampalaya is a great one which offers a great range of health and beauty benefits as well. At this pint, ampalaya can help to deal with certain health problems. Indeed, having this one at your kitchen will give you many unexpected benefits. Hence, add ampalaya to your favorite dish as it will be great for the sake of healthy life!