Bulletin

DOH campaigns for the  use of Ampalaya for the diet of Diabetics

In 1995, after the DOH had identified the Ampalaya as part of  its “Sampung Halamang Gamot,” the DOH instructed the  doctors who run the country’s  public health centers to promote Ampalaya as part of the diet of diabetics.  The public health doctors did so and found that Ampalaya significantly helped their diabetic patients. But they also faced a compliance problem as at that time there was still no FDA-registered Ampalaya food supplement  and most patients could not eat Ampalaya as a vegetable dish every day and some could not take Ampalaya at all because of its bitter taste.

Enter Herbcare and its Charantia Ampalaya food Supplements

Herbcare Corporation was founded in late 1999 with its mission expressed briefly in its motto of “Herbals that work from People who care.”

In January 2000, Herbcare launched its first FDA-registered  “herbal that works”– Charantia Ampalaya Food Supplements in three variants, Loose tea, Teabags and Capsules.

Charantia is made from 100% mature but unripe fruits and seeds  of Ampalaya that are dehydrated in a special process which retains its hypoglycemic properties while removing  its bitter taste.

“We then introduced Charantia  to the public health doctor-members of the Association of Municipal Health Officers of the Philippnes (AMHOP).  And they  found Charantia the  solution to their problem of how to make  their diabetic patients take Ampalaya every day.” recalled Herbcare president Daniel Abelarde.

Barely two years after Charantia was launched, the Association of Municipal Health Officers of the Philippines (AMHOP),  took the unprecedented move on October 2001 of officially endorsing Charantia as the Ampalaya  Food Supplement for their diabetic patients.  “Charantia Ampalaya Tea had been proven effective in lowering the blood sugar by the actual experience of our diabetic patients.” explained then president of AMHOP Dr. Guia Abad.