When Madelyn Alvizo’s aunt was diagnosed with a suspected stages one to two lung cancer, her aunt can no longer take chemotherapy as she was already 72 years old, so recovery would have been hard for her aunt.

Eager to help, a nun recommended for Madelyn’s aunt to try the juice of the calabash fruit that grows abundantly in their hometown Agusan del Sur. Presumably originally from Africa, calabash fruit has no Filipino name and is only found in Mindanao, Alvizo claimed.

“Parang ginagawang ornamental ‘yan du’n sa’min. Binabalewala lang (Calabash used to be just used as an ornament in our community, just usually ignored),” she recalled in an exclusive interview with DAILY TRIBUNE.

She said they have been hearing of calabash being a “miracle fruit” that had been traditionally taken by their ancestors as a cure for various illnesses, but it was not until her aunt lost her tumor that they believed in the fruit’s potentially therapeutic properties.

“Bumalik po s’ya sa doktor after three months, ‘yun lang po ang ininom n’ya, ginawang tubig. So ayun, pagbalik n’ya sa doktor n’ya, na-amaze ‘yung doktor n’ya, nawala ‘yung bukol (My aunt returned to the doctor after three months. She took only calabash juice, nothing else, like water. Her doctor got amazed that the tumor was gone),” Alvizo shared.

She and her family then realized how calabash could help not only their aunt but also other people. Thus, starting from their own kitchen, they began processing calabash juice as a food supplement in 2016. In 2018, their brand, Monique Miracle Fruit Juice, got official registration from the Food and Drug Administration. 

Through the help of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Alvizo and her family are able to grow their brand and their products — from their kitchen to their own factory and calabash farms, from their hometown to Cebu and Bohol supermarkets, and from calabash juice to capsule and tea versions and a new supplements line featuring another local produce, purple corn, supplied by local farmers.

“Marami na kaming natulungan. Mayroong mga may stage four breast cancer kami na natulungang gumaling (Our products have helped a lot of people. There are those who had stage four breast cancer that we helped get healed),” Alvizo claimed.

Even those not diagnosed with any illness can benefit from calabash, she said, since it is reportedly rich in magnesium, potassium, sodium, manganese, zinc, iron and other vitamins and minerals that boost the immune system and prevent blood clots. 

“Because our enemy in cancer is low immunity,” Alvizo said in Filipino. “It’s also great for those suffering from hormonal imbalances because it paralyzes tumors… It has electrolytes, so it keeps your energy up.”

The magnesium in calabash is good for clearing up clots in blood vessels, which is why the fruit is also good for preventing heart disease, she said.

Best of all, calabash is reportedly anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory, which is good for battling free radicals, she noted.

“Kasi ang mga pagkain natin ngayon hindi na safe. Puro na mga instant food, so nangangailangan tayo ng mga antioxidants na food supplements (Because our food today are not anymore safe — mostly instant, so we need antioxidants from food supplements),” she explained. 

The best times to take calabash are before breakfast, with an empty stomach, and before bedtime since magnesium aids in giving a good night’s sleep.

Alvizo suggested taking the juice or supplement purely on its own or mixed with hot water like one’s morning coffee. She also vouched for their new purple corn tea as a zero-caffeine coffee alternative.

Apart from calabash, many other natural food supplements are showcased at DTI’s ongoing Bagong Pilipinas National Trade Fair, from 18 to 22 February, at Megatrade Halls 1–3, 5th Level, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City. This five-day showcase gathers the country’s top micro, small and medium enterprises in one dynamic marketplace.