UNAIR NEWS – Indonesia is famous for its richness of herbal plants. It is recorded that there are about 35,000 types of plants that grow in Indonesia. Around 7,000 of them are medicinal plants. However, only about 1,000 plants used or applied as herbal medicinal drinks.
As one of experts studying traditional Indonesian medicine for 40 years, Prof. Dr. Mangestuti Agil, MS, Apt., explained that humans are actually inseparable and instinctively depend on nature and a variety of plants. According to her, herbs from nature can help humans to stay healthy.
“We have a relationship and react to substances contained in medicinal plants. It shows that God has created them so we can live together to get benefits from them as natural medicine, ” she explained in Suwe Ora Jamu discussion.
To get the benefits of herbal medicine, continued Prof. Manges, we must maintain a good and harmonious relationship between body, mind and spirit. This harmonious relationship can be realized through the union of cipta (creativity), rahsa (feeling), and karsa (initiative).
“In Centhini’s teaching it is written that medicinal herbs are only one of the ingredients. To get healing and blessed health, we must maintain the three values of harmony and based them on prayer to God, ” she explained.
The professor of Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) said that the plant that is easiest to enjoy and good for health is aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is aromatic or fragrant plants. She explained that everyone would smile if they smelled a good smell, from that smile, a person relaxed. Furthermore, according to her, a relaxed condition can increase the body’s immunity to ward off diseases.
“Good immunity is the key to anticipating this pandemic,” she said.
Furthermore, Prof. Manges described several plants that are good for brain health including Asian pigeonwings, mint leaves, and Asiatic pennywort. Roots of Asian pigeonwings according to Prof. Manges are very good for maintaining brain health so that they are not easily senile. Meanwhile, mint leaves, which contain acrylic oil, are very useful in relieving stress in the brain if inhaled regularly every day.
“If Indonesians want to regularly consume jamu and other herbal plants, I guarantee they will always be healthy as long as they maintain the balance I mentioned earlier,” she concluded. (*)
Author: Nikmatus Sholikhah
Editor: Feri Fenoria
