Traditional medicine?
1. Traditional medicines are medicines derived from natural sources such as plants and animals without being processed chemically.
2. Since ancients, mankind had used various types of plants and roots, animals and animal part to cure diseases.
3. Traditional medicine is the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.
Complementary/alternative medicine (CAM)
The terms "complementary medicine" or "alternative medicine" are used inter-changeably with traditional medicine in some countries. They refer to a broad set of health care practices that are not part of that country's own tradition and are not integrated into the dominant health care system.
Herbal medicines
Herbal medicines include herbs, herbal materials, herbal preparations and finished herbal products, that contain as active ingredients parts of plants, or other plant materials, or combinations.
Traditional use of herbal medicines
Traditional use of herbal medicines refers to the long historical use of these medicines. Their use is well established and widely acknowledged to be safe and effective, and may be accepted by national authorities.
Traditional use of herbal medicines refers to the long historical use of these medicines. Their use is well established and widely acknowledged to be safe and effective, and may be accepted by national authorities.
Active ingredient
Active ingredients refer to ingredients of herbal medicines with therapeutic activity. In herbal medicines where the active ingredients have been identified, the preparation of these medicines should be standardized to contain a defined amount of the active ingredients, if adequate analytical methods are available. In cases where it is not possible to identify the active ingredients, the whole herbal medicine may be considered as one active ingredient.
GINGER
-To remove wind in the body
-To prevent flu and keep body warm The stem(rhizome) is
boiled with water to produce juice for drinking
-To treat cholesterol, heart disease and high blood pressure
-Garlic cloves can be eaten raw or cooked
-Garlic cloves can be eaten raw or cooked
-To prevent stomach and colon cancer
GREEN TEA
-To prevent and treat breast,stomach and skin cancer
-To improve mental alertness
-To lower the cholesterol levels and protect skin from sun damage -- The leaf is added to water and drink as a beverage
-To improve mental alertness
-To lower the cholesterol levels and protect skin from sun damage -- The leaf is added to water and drink as a beverage
-To treat nausea,indigestion and cold symptoms
-To treat headaches,muscle and nerve pain Essential oil of
peppermint can be taken in per small doses in capsule or
liquid in forms.
-To treat headaches,muscle and nerve pain Essential oil of
peppermint can be taken in per small doses in capsule or
liquid in forms.
-The essential oil can also be applied to the skin
CENTELLA ASITICA (DAUN PEGAGA)
-To help maintain youthfulness
-To relieve hypertension
-To aid wound healing Eaten raw or made into juice for
drinking
-To relieve hypertension
-To aid wound healing Eaten raw or made into juice for
drinking
EURYCOMA (TONGKAT ALI)
-To increase the male libido Made into tablets or capsules
TAMARIND (ASAM JAWA)
-To reduce malaria fever
-To reduce cough
-As a medicine for gastric or digestion problems It is dried
and candied or served as a cold drink
-To reduce cough
-As a medicine for gastric or digestion problems It is dried
and candied or served as a cold drink
LEMON GRASS (SERAI)
-The oil produced is used in mosquito repellent, candles and
also in aromatherapy
-To treat cough, headaches and stomach aches Made into
juice for drinking.
also in aromatherapy
-To treat cough, headaches and stomach aches Made into
juice for drinking.
*Traditional medicines are normally used to aid the body in healing itself and not just
suppressing symptoms of disease.So, traditional medicines work very slowly.
*However, traditional medicines can cause some side effects such as nausea, thirst,
diarrhoea and, if not selected properly, worsening of the disease or even result in death.
*Some herbs used in traditional medicine are highly toxic.More research on the toxic should
be carried out to ensure the safety of these medicines
Side Effects of Traditional Medicines
Side Effects of Traditional Medicines
- It is generally believed that traditional medicines have little side effects compared to modern medicines. In fact, traditional medicines are sometimes used to counteract the side effects of some modern medicines.
- However, taking high doses of quinine for a prolonged period may cause hearing loss. German health officials recently reported 40 cases of liver damage which were linked to the herbal medicine containing kava-kava.
- While the use of traditional medicine is rising globally, health experts have insufficient data about how it affects patients.
- The World Health Organisation( WHO) hopes to set up a global monitoring system to monitor the adverse side effects of traditional medicines.
