A bitter remedy for too much sweetness

I am blessed with many mothers. Aside from my biological mom, Mommy Fely, I also have a mother in the person of Mommy Linda, my mother-in-law; Mama Cely, my dear friend’s mother; Nanang Gay, ate Dorie’s mom; and last but not the least, Mom Sandy, my American mom.

You read it right, I also have an American mother. Like any mother to her daughter, she sees to it that I get plenty of guidance; yet believes that I can face the world aright. We have never seen each other in person yet, though, but she keeps me posted about what she’s up to through letters and emails. It’s how I found out she’s got diabetes.

In my last email, I told her it would do her good if she eats “Bitter gourd”. She said she doesn’t know what it is so I thought I’d write something about it. Here’s a taste of bitterness that makes life sweet with the healing power it brings.

Ampalaya a.k.a. Bitter gourd or Bitter melon in English; 苦瓜 pinyin: kǔguā in Chinese; and karela in Indian is a vine that grows in tropical and subtropical countries.  In the Philippines where it is widely grown, Ampalaya is usually sautéed with pork, tomatoes and egg or is used as a main ingredient in the Ilocano’s dish Pakbet or Pinakbet.

The bitter taste of this vegetable is due to the presence of momordicin, a compound said to be effective in treating diabetes mellitus. Below are the other health benefits of the bitter veggy taken from the “Agriculture” magazine, March 2009 issue, page 22. I hope this would encourage everyone to eat the nutritious Ampalaya.