Puteri Indonesia that represents Environment Brand Ambassador, Putu Ayu Saraswati, understands that the hot weather in Bali can be excruciating. But she has a secret weapon to dissipate heat in the body, plus providing freshness. It's by drinking loloh cemcem.

"This drink has the effect of lowering body temperature. It is quite hot in Bali, the sun is very hot. It is a superb herbal medicine, it can cool down your the body. This is a tourist drink in Bali," said Putu Ayu during the webinar 'Knowing Jamu Nusantara' with BPOM, Wednesday (8/9).

Loloh means herbal medicine, while cemcem leaves are the main ingredients of this drink. The leaf with the Latin name Spondias pinnata (Lf) Kurz is a tropical plant commonly used by Balinese people as ingredients for traditional drinks.

From research published in the journal Yoga and Health in 2020, cemcem leaves have many benefits, including relieving internal heat, increasing appetite, relieving coughs, lowering blood pressure, and launching bowel movements.

This is just one type of herb or herbal medicine from Bali. If you talk about Indonesia, you will realize how much potential each region has. Moreover, the pandemic moment makes people look at alternatives to support the body to stay healthy.

It is stated from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) that people are busy 'back to nature or return to something natural, one of which is 'back to herbal medicine'. 

Stocks of herbs or herbal ingredients owned by business actors are often empty. It means that this 'back to nature' trend can be a momentum to introduce herbal medicine more broadly, especially to the younger generation.

"Our natural wealth is almost evenly distributed, so it is necessary to introduce Nusantara herbal medicine so that people can get to know herbs from various regions. From research on medicinal plants and herbal medicine in 2017, there are 32 thousand traditional medicinal herbs, meaning that these are already ingredients, supported by 2,848 plant species that have been identified as traditional medicinal plants," said Reri Indriani, Deputy for Supervision of Traditional Medicines, Health Supplements, and Cosmetics at BPOM representing the Head of BPOM Penny Lukito, on a similar occasion.

What is jamu?

Maybe what comes to your mind will be related to ingredients from plants, traditional nuances, the result of ancestral beliefs, and the taste is bitter, unpleasant.

Before rushing to give an assessment, BPOM has included herbal medicine in the traditional medicine group. Jamu has the meaning of traditional medicine that has efficacy based on practical experience.

Rich with local wisdom

The so-called herbal medicine is processed or mixed by the community and business world based on geographical indications, local wisdom, or traditional knowledge sustainably and sustainably. Herbal medicine is not only mixed by the community. Large-scale industry or processing also exists.

Then there is local wisdom, where the way of processing the local community is unique. Yellow root, for example, is a traditional herb from Central Kalimantan. This plant contains the alkaloid berberine, which is poisonous. However, the Dayak people boil it with salty water, so it is not toxic.

Bring a lot of health benefits

Herbal medicine must be useful for improving the community's quality of life in food, fitness and beauty, tourism, culture, and health.

"Herbals are rich in vitamins and minerals, refresh the body, maintain endurance. Herbal medicine is used to maintain beauty. Then there is a cultural nuance because there are herbs or special ingredients after giving birth or before the wedding," said Suwijiyo.