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.

Jamu shops, which sell only ingredients or prepare the jamu on spot as required by buyers, as well as women roaming the street to sell jamu, is a commonly seen way to distribute jamu in Indonesia. Nowadays, Jamu is also mass manufactured and exported. There are often concerns as to quality, consistency, and cleanliness in not only the locally distributed but also manufactured forms.

Although, some of the materials of jamu are known as containing non-nutritional properties but they are proven to have the effect on health. Some of the materials give effect on blood pressure, heart rhythm, sexual function, brain performance, etc.

Indonesian physicians were initially not very interested in jamu. During the second conference of the Indonesian Association of Physicians, held in Solo in March 1940, two presentations on the topic were given. During the Japanese occupation, Indonesia’s Jamu Committee was formed in 1944. During the following decades, the popularity of jamu increased, although physicians had rather ambivalent opinions about it. 

Nowadays, people are more informed about their health and the options available to them to prevent and / or to treat disease. Some of the knowledge with the current focus on organic and health food, herbal medicines has become increasingly popular. Traditional herbs and herbal formulations used in jamu make their way and so increase the range of herbal medicines available.