There’s a strange fruit in the Philippines that never fails to catch the attention of whoever sees it. It is common in Mindanao areas. Although not very popular yet, it looks like a young coconut in appearance and watermelon in size. In the science world, it is called Crescentia cujete.
Filipinos call it miracle fruit. The reasons, it cures some diseases and even cancer. In General Santos City, a group of students from the Notre Dame of Dadiangas University found that “calabash extracts have the ability to prevent blood vessel growth and development.” As such, it “could be used to help prevent the cancer cells in the human body.”
The students have analyzed the effects of fruit and leaf extracts of calabash to duck eggs. In their study, they found that the “extracts have successfully halted toe formation of new blood vessels as shown by the lower number of branching points in ducks embryo compared to the controlled samples.”
According to the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), a line agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the students’ analysis showed that the tree’s “fruit and leaf extracts contain flavonoids such as quercetin and anthraquinone, the important phytochemicals for antiangiogenic activities, a process that inhibits the growth and development of new blood vessels in the body.”
Antiangiogenesis controls the spread of tumor cells in the body by disabling the transport of nutrients toward the cancerous cells, the PCHRD explained. Tumor cells, as they normally do, start with a single cell, which then divides into more cells. “The growth of malignant cells will depend on the availability of specific nutrients being transported by blood vessels,” it said.
In Davao City, the Davao Medical School Foundation has confirmed that calabash fruit has a blood sugar lowering effect to the tested animals.
In the web site of PCHRD, it was reported the researchers administered calabash fruit decoction (juice from boiled calabash fruit) to hyperglycemia-induced rabbits and compared effects to Metformin, a standard drug for the treatment of diabetics (positive control) and a mineral water treatment (negative control).
Analysis revealed that calabash fruit decoction and Metformin treated rabbits showed “a significant decreased in the amount of blood sugar in the body. While rabbits administered with mineral water solution have constant high blood sugar levels.”
According to the study, “the decrease of blood sugar level was attributed to the effects of phytochemicals found in calabash fruit responsible for the release of insulin that lowers blood sugar in the tested animals.”
It contains vitamin B1, vitamin C, calcium, iron, sodium and potassium.The pulp, for instance, is very efficient in dealing with respiratory problems such as asthma and cough. The juice from the pulp is used along with cinnamon, anise and nutmeg to prepare a herbal syrup which, lessens chest disorders and treats gastrointestinal problems.
The decoction of the bark can be used to cure wounds. The leaves have the ability to decrease blood pressure and headaches. The leaves can also be crushed and applied to wound to stop bleeding. If mixed with castor oil, it also acts as a purgative and laxative herb.
Calabash Fruit Juice Instruction
- Cut the the miracle fruit in the middle, just like cutting a coconut but this time is in horizontal direction. Cutting is the difficult part where you need to use saw to cut perfectly.
- Get a spoon and scrape it, put in a large bowl. Turn on the stove and boil it for 30 minutes to 1 hour before draining the juice through a clean cloth. Please don't forget to NOT to put water for it will produce later when boiled. The color of the juice should be dark when done.
- Let it cool and transfer to a Wine Bottle and Refrigerate.
- Gradually drink it, start with small amount like half of the glass first.
Caution:
Do not consume this fruit or gourd while pregnant, it is abortive and is used in traditionally to induce labor.
