Thursday, April 11, 2013

Propolis, the Gift of Nature for Our Health



Propolis is a substance produced by bees from various shoots of young leaves that are mixed with their saliva. Propolis or bee glue is used for patching and sterilizing the hive. Propolis is anti-bacterial (disinfectant) which kills all bacteria, and is used by bees to protect the hives from germs, bacteria and virus problems.

Propolis contains more than 300 elements, including: flavanoids, chalcones, dehydrocalcones, aliphatic acids and esters, long-chain aliphatic acids, short-chain volatile oils, aromatic acids and esters, benzoic acid and its derivatives, aldehydes, alcohols, cinnamic acid and its derivatives, ketine, phenol, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Tips and Benefits of Turmeric for Skin Whitening



Turmeric has been shown to reduce the production of skin melanin. It also helps the sunburn skin back to normal more quickly. You can apply turmeric specifically on the skin and/or consume it. There are many ways to apply turmeric on your skin. Below are some simple methods.

Please note that turmeric will leave yellow stains on the skin. Here are some tips and benefits of turmeric for skin whitening.

15 Minutes Mask With Lemon Juice
Mix turmeric powder with cucumber juice or lemon juice to make a paste. Apply on the skin area. Leave on for fifteen minutes and then rinse. With daily use, skin pigmentation will evenly.

For Underarm Whitening
Combine 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of cucumber juice, less than half a teaspoon of turmeric powder to whiten black underarm, and it was really successful. Within 3 weeks of using it 4 times a week will make a significant difference.

Methods of Processing Turmeric for Treating Various Diseases

Saffron or turmeric or Curcuma domestica Vahl is a plant commonly used as a spice or natural dyes in foods but may also be used for the treatment of various diseases. Turmeric contains curcumin, 10% desmethoxycurcumin, 1-5% bisdesmethoxycurcumin. Other substances useful in turmeric essential oil which is composed of sesquiterpene ketones, turmeron, tumeon 60%, 25% zingiberen, felandren, sabinen, borneol and sineil. Turmeric contains about 1 -3% fat, 3% carbohydrate, 30% protein, 8% starch, 45-55% Vitamin C, iron, phosphorus, and calcium.

In India, turmeric has been used since 2500 years ago for treatment. The antiseptic and anti-bacterial efficacies in turmeric have the same ability with fluoride for teeth. Turmeric also has the ability to cure psoriasis and inflammation of the joints, and overcoming depression and digestive problems.
Here are the benefits of turmeric for treatment:

Turmeric ( Kunyit ) an Asian Herbal Plant



Saffron or turmeric, (Curcuma longaLinn. Syn. Curcumadomestica Val.), Is one of the original spices and medicinal plants of Southeast Asia. It is native to tropical South Asia and needs temperatures between 20°C and 30°C (68°F and 86°F) and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive. Plants are gathered annually for their rhizomes, and propagated from some of those rhizomes in the following season. The plant spreads in the regions of Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and even Africa. Almost everyone in Indonesia, India and Asian nations generally have to consume this herb plants, either as a complementary seasoning or to maintain health and beauty.

Turmeric is classified in the ginger group, Zingiberaceae. Turmeric is known in various regions with few local names, such as turmeric (UK), kurkuma (Netherlands), kunyit (Indonesia and Malaysia), kunir (Java), etc.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Adas ( Fennel ) the Efficacious Herbs

Fennel or Adas is one of the nine herbs that are considered to have miracles in Anglo-Saxon. In Indonesia, it has grown as herbs and medicinal plants. This plant can live from lowlands to an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level, but it will grow better in the highlands. He came from southern Europe and Asia, and because of its benefits, it is later widely grown in Indonesia, India, Argentina, Europe, and Japan. The plant is long-lived, with a height of about 50 cm - 2 m, and grows in clumps. One clump usually consists of 3-5 stems.

The trunk is bluish green, grooved, segmented, perforated, which emits fragrance when bruised. The leaves are needle shaped tapered on the tip and base, flat edge, has a white sheath, webbed with the hat shaped top. The flowers composed as umbrella shaped floral compound with 6-40 peduncle, the length of the main peduncles 5-10 cm, the length of the flower peduncles 2-5 mm. The petals are yellow. The fruit is oval, ribbed, length of 6-10 mm, width 3-4 mm. The color of the fruit varies depending on the country of origin. The ripe fruit has a distinctive aromatic smell, taste relatively like camphor.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Adas / Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.)


Adas or Anise or Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller) has long been recognized as one of the components of traditional medicine. Fennel oil contained in its seeds is one of the components of Telon oil (traditional oil used to warm babies’ body).

This herbaceous plant smells nice. Its color is bright green. It grows upright, and can reach two meters in height. The leaves grow up to 40 centimeters long, ribbon-shaped, with the last segment in the form of hair, approximately 0.5 mm wide. Flowers are produced at the end of the stalk is compound flower with a diameter of 5 to 15cm. Each flower stalk section has 20-50 small yellow flowers on the short pedicles. The fruit is a dry seed from 4 to 9 millimeters long, with a width half of its length.

Herbal Medicines Used for Jamu


There are hundreds of herbs used for jamu prescriptions. As jamu is the traditional herbal medicine of Indonesia which is a tropical country, the herbs are commonly tropical plants.  Some of the herbal medicines according the parts used are:

*    Bangle (Zingiber brevifolium)
*    Jahe Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
*    Kencur Aromatic Galangal (Kaempferia galanga)
*    Kunyit Turmeric (Curcuma domestica)
* Lempuyang (Zingiber zerumbet or Zingiber aromaticum)
* Lengkuas or Laos Greater Galangal (Alpinia galanga)
*    Temulawak (Curcuma xanthorrhiza)

Jamu : The Traditional Herbal Medicine of Indonesia


Indonesia has its traditional medicine called JAMU. Jamu is mainly herbal medicine made from natural materials, such as parts of plants such as roots, leaves and bark, and fruit. There is also material from the bodies of animals, such as bile of goat or alligator used. It is mostly produced in the form of fresh drink. However, nowadays jamu is also packed in sachets in the form of powder. The jamu powder should be dissolved in hot water first before drinking. Thus, the herbal medicine is available in the form of tablets, caplets and capsules.