Ampalaya / Bitter Gourd / Bitter Melon
(Momordica charantia)
Scientific Name: Momordica charantia Linn.
Common Name(s): Ampalaya, Bitter Gourd, Bitter Melon, Bitter Squash
Parts used: Fruits, Leaves, Roots, and Seeds
Used in the treatment of:
  • Cough and respiratory diseases
  • Fever
  • Gout, rheumatism, and diseases of the spleen and liver
  • Headache
  • Hemorrhoids (Piles)
  • Hyperglycemia (high blood glucose / high blood sugar) and diabetes mellitus: promotes the production of pancreatic beta cells thereby improving the body’s ability to produce insulin and control blood sugar levels
  • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • Menstrual problems
  • Ulcers
Photograph by Dinesh Valke, used and edited under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license | As edited, distributed under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license
Photograph by whologwhy, used and edited under a CC BY 2.0 license
Other uses:
  • Analgesic (relieves pain)
  • Antibacterial
  • Antibilious (counters liver disorders)
  • Antioxidant
  • Antipyretic (prevents or reduces fever)
  • Chemomodulatory / Chemopreventive (inhibit, delay, or reverse cancer / carcinogenesis)
  • Emetic (induces vomiting)
  • Immune system booster
  • Laxative (induces bowel movements or loosens the stool)
  • Stomachic (promotes the appetite and / or assist digestion)

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