3 Types of traditional medicines commonly consumed by Indonesians: uses, side effects, interactions

What is traditional medicine (OT)?

Natural medicines are traditionally used to maintain health and immunity, treat minor ailments, and prevent disease.

According to the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM), the definition of traditional medicine (OT) is an ingredient or ingredient in the form of plants, animal parts, minerals, or a mixture of these ingredients that is used from generation to generation for treatment. Traditional medicine is also often called Natural Medicine (OBA).

In other words, traditional medicines are medicines made from natural ingredients that are processed based on the recipes of the ancestors, customs, beliefs, and habits of the inhabitants of an area.

What are the types of traditional medicine?

There are various kinds of traditional medicines out there that are commonly used to treat various health conditions. However, BPOM regroups OT into three groups based on the type of use, method of manufacture, and method of proving its efficacy.

In general, traditional medicine in Indonesia is divided into three, namely, herbal medicine, standardized herbal medicine (OHT), and phyto-pharmacy. What is the difference?

1. Herbalism

Source: Brooks Cherries

Jamu is a traditional medicine made from plants which is processed into the form of brewing powder, pills, and direct drinking fluids. Generally, this traditional medicine is made with reference to ancestral recipes. You can make your own herbal medicine at home using family medicinal plants (TOGA) or you can buy it from an herbal medicine seller.

One kind of herbal medicine can be made from a mixture of 5-10 kinds of plants, maybe even more. Every part of the plant, starting from the roots, stems, leaves, skin, fruit, and seeds, can be used to produce herbal medicine.

Take the example of the most common is tamarind herbal medicine. The herbal turmeric tamarind is believed to help relieve menstrual pain because turmeric contains curcumin which reduces the production of the hormone prostaglandin which causes muscle spasms in the uterus. In addition, this herbal medicine is also quite often used as a medicine for aches and a body odor remedy.

Other examples of common herbal medicine are the kencur rice herbal medicine and the ginger herbal medicine. Kencur rice herbal medicine is processed from a mixture of rice, kencur, tamarind, and brown sugar, which is often used as a stamina enhancer and appetite. The herb kencur rice can also treat digestive problems, shortness of breath, colds, and headaches. Meanwhile, ginger herbal medicine also has the potential to treat osteoarthritis problems.

Based on the provisions of the Head of BPOM, herbal medicine does not require scientific proof to clinical trials in the laboratory. A traditional herb can be said to be herbal medicine if its safety and efficacy have been proven based on direct human experience for hundreds of years.

2. Standardized herbal medicine (OHT)

Standardized herbal medicine (OHT) is a traditional medicine made from extracts or extracts from natural ingredients, which can be in the form of medicinal plants, animal extracts, or minerals.

Unlike herbal medicine which is usually made by boiling, the method of making OHT uses advanced and standardized technology. OHT producers must ensure that the raw materials used and their extraction procedures comply with BPOM standards. The workforce must also have qualified skills and knowledge on how to make extracts.

In addition, OHT products must also undergo preclinical testing in the laboratory to test the effectiveness, safety and toxicity of drugs before being traded.

An official commercial traditional medicine product is classified as OHT if it includes the logo and the words "STANDARD HERBAL MEDICINE" in the form of a circle containing 3 pairs of leaf fingers and placed on the upper left of the container, wrapper, or brochure.

Examples of OHT products in Indonesia are Kiranti, Antangin, and Tolak Angin.

3. Phytopharmaca

Just like OHT, phyto-pharmacy products are made from extracts or extracts from natural ingredients in the form of plants, animal extracts, or minerals. The difference is, phyto-pharmacy is a type of natural medicine whose effectiveness and safety can be compared with modern medicine.

The production process is both technologically advanced and standardized like OHT, but the phytopharmaca product has to go through one more resistant testing process. After going through a preclinical testing process, phytopharmaca OBA products must undergo direct clinical trials in humans to ensure their safety.

A traditional medicinal product may be marketed to the public if it has passed preclinical and clinical trials. Phytopharmaca products must also include a logo and the words "FITOFARMAKA" in the form of a circle containing the radius of the leaf forming a star and placed on the upper left of the container, wrapper or brochure.

Tips for safe taking traditional medicine

In order to get the most of the benefits possible, you must be more careful in sorting out the medicinal products to be purchased.

Launching the Food and Drug Education Sheet from the BPOM, every traditional medicine must include the correct label marking, including:

Product name
Name and address of producer / importer
BPOM registration number / distribution permit number
Batch number / production code
Expiration Date
Net
Composition
Warning / Caution
Storage way
Usability and how to use it in Indonesian.

Not only that. Also obey the following rules to ensure the medicine you are using is safe for consumption:

Only use products that already have a registration number from the BPOM.
Always check the expiration date before consuming OT.
Always read the rules of use before consuming OT.
We recommend that you avoid using traditional medicines together with chemical drugs (from a doctor's prescription).
If side effects appear fairly quickly after taking OT, there may be additional chemicals in the drug that are prohibited from using it.
Pay attention to the information "warning" or "attention" printed on the product packaging label, then adjust the side effects of using the drug to your health condition.

A good OT product should also not contain medicinal chemicals (BKO), alcohol of more than 1% except in certain forms and must be diluted first, narcotics & psychotropic substances, and other substances that can endanger health.

So in order to ensure the safety of the medicinal products you are using, you can confirm it directly by checking the POM Agency page (www.pom.go.id). In the "Product List" column, select "Public Product Warning" and find out what traditional medicines contain dangerous chemicals.

How safe is the use of traditional medicine?

Many people believe in the healing power of this drug for various reasons. There are those who claim to have successfully recovered or at least have improved their health conditions after using OT, are believed to be more natural, do not cause side effects, or because they have received advice from people that they have been able to recover thanks to OT, quoted from BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Basically, traditional medicine is classified as safe for consumption as long as you are not allergic to its ingredients and within safe dosage limits. It's just that you are advised to always be vigilant and careful in sorting out which traditional medicines are genuine and safe for consumption, and which are doubtful.

The reason is, BPOM has not once or twice found illegal OTs that are widespread in various regions in Indonesia. Penny K. Lukito, as the Head of BPOM, said that the use of illegal OT was very dangerous to health because it contained a number of chemicals.

The use of drugs must be prescribed and supervised by a doctor, or at least the drug you are taking has been guaranteed its use. While the safety of this illegal OT cannot be ascertained, it is even sold freely without an official distribution permit from BPOM. Automatically, illegal OT has the potential to endanger public health.