Page 71 - EBOOK_Jamu: The Ancient Indonesian Art of Herbal Healing

turmeric is used as a substitute for saffron. It is widely believed that turmeric

offers protection against evil spirits, which accounts for its prominence in Hindu
culture and at weddings and circumcision ceremonies in Indonesia. Buddhist
monks use turmeric to dye their robes and in the 13th century, turmeric caught
the attention of the inveterate explorer, Marco Polo, who noticed it growing in
southern China. Despite its healing ability, turmeric has more frequently been
used as a dye and food flavouring.
The association of turmeric with the yellow of royalty is evident in the
fabric, food and beauty treatments of the Central Javanese palaces. Even today,
court ladies are still massaged with lulur paste coloured with turmeric to give
their skin the preferred golden glow. (It is not, however, recommeded for
Caucasian skins.) In Central Java, the paste is often coloured with another little-

known member of the ginger family, temu giring (curcuma heyneana), or a
mixture of the two gingers. It is significant that manufacturer, Sari Ayu, makes
as many as 16 jamu containing turmeric for women. These formulæ cover
almost every requirement from radiant complexion, slimming, rejuvenation,
post-natal and hair treatments, to poultices and compresses that cleanse and
deodorize. Turmeric also goes into Jamu Asih Kinasih, the love potion that is
said to bring a whole new meaning to the word love-making.
Asian healers’ faith in the curative powers of turmeric has been endorsed by

modern science. Turmeric has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral
properties; it also contains an active chemical called curcumin, which can reduce
inflammation by up to 50 per cent. In some instances, it even successfully out-
performs steroids. Osteoarthritic patients are often prescribed a formula based on
turmeric, and it is also taken for rheumatism. As a bonus, science has proven that
curcumin has anti-mutagenic properties and can help protect living cells from
substances that cause cancer. As with certain vitamins, curcumin apparently
functions like an antioxidant.
Traditional thinking says turmeric is the answer to liver problems and
jaundice. Again, modern scientists agree, as turmeric increases the flow of bile
that causes the gall bladder to contract and helps prevent the formation of

gallstones. Secondly, extra bile means fat in the intestine is digested more
efficiently, thus turmeric has a hand in reducing cholesterol and cleaning the
blood. This double action explains why it is often found in herbal slimming pills
in the West.
Even without the benefit of scientific evidence, Indonesians have always
believed in turmeric. This is obvious from the millions of people who swallow a
glass of the turmeric-rich Jamu Kunir Asem on a daily basis, thus lining the