| It is already well-known that Indonesia's land is very | | | | stamina, to heal the colds, nausea, vomiting, headache, |
| prosperous for spices. That is why a long time ago it | | | | dizziness and fever. |
| attracted many foreign countries such as China, | | | | - Galangal (Kaempferia galangal), just as ginger, it is |
| Arabia, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom and the | | | | also good to increase the body stamina, against bad |
| Netherlands to come here to trade or to conquer it. It is | | | | breath, to heal stomach inflammation, nausea, vomiting |
| also the reason why Indonesian food is rich with spices | | | | and cold. |
| and herbs such as: ginger, turmeric, different types of | | | | - Turmeric has lot of benefits for health. Besides |
| galangal, shallots, garlic, nutmeg, cloves. There are also | | | | widely used as a food coloring and is one of the |
| fresh leaf seasonings like lemon grass, lemon basil | | | | principal ingredients in curry powder, it is also used for |
| (known as kemangi), kaffir lime, daun salam (a type of | | | | traditional medicines meant to maintain good health and |
| bay leaf), turmeric, etc. And of course chillies. Not only | | | | beauty. Turmeric has long been used in medicine as an |
| that these spices make the food taste delicious, but | | | | anti-inflammatory, to treat digestive disorders (stomach |
| they are also part of botanical treasures which are | | | | upset, gas, abdominal crams) and liver problems, |
| good for medication. As a part of modern medical | | | | preventing bacterial infection in wounds, and for |
| treatment, people in Indonesia have already used herbs | | | | treating skin diseases and wound healing. It is also |
| and spices for traditional medicine. | | | | good for treating irregular menstruation and |
| Here some spices among others that can be used for | | | | leucorrhoea for women. Other benefits are for body |
| medicine: | | | | heating and to make blood's circulation run smoothly. |
| - Clove, which is a native spice from Indonesia and | | | | There has been a substantial amount of research on |
| used as ingredient in cuisine all over the world, has | | | | turmeric's anti-cancer potential. Evidence from |
| many beneficial usage especially for medication. | | | | laboratory and animal studies suggests that curcuma |
| According to FAO, Indonesia produced almost 80% of | | | | has potential in the treatment of various forms of |
| the world's clove output in 2005 followed at a distance | | | | cancer, including prostate, breast, skin, and colon. |
| by Madagascar and Tanzania. In India, cloves are used | | | | Human studies will be necessary before it is known to |
| in Ayurveda called Lavang, while in Chinese and | | | | what extent these results may apply to people. |
| western, they use it for an anodyne (painkiller) for | | | | - Another Indonesian spice which is good for food |
| dental emergencies. Cloves are also used as a | | | | ingredients as well as for health is lemongrass or |
| carminative, to increase hydrochloric acid in the | | | | Indonesian calls it 'Sereh' or 'Serai'. Lemon grass is |
| stomach and to improve peristalsis. It's known as | | | | widely used as a herb in Asian cuisine. It has a citrus |
| natural antihelmintic (drugs that expel parasitic worms | | | | flavour and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh. |
| (helminths) from the body, by either stunning or killing | | | | It is commonly used in teas, soups, and curries. |
| them). The cloves contain of an essential oil (aetheric | | | | Research also shows that lemon grass oil has |
| oil), also a number of some good chemicals compound. | | | | antifungal properties. Lemongrass has many good |
| According to the WHO (World Health Organization), | | | | properties such as healing a headache, muscle and |
| clove is one of the most widely used botanical | | | | joint pain, nerve pain, rheumatism, sore throat, irritable |
| medications in the world. As in Indonesia, this spice has | | | | bowel syndrome, Gastroenteritis, stomach pain, |
| been used for medicine since long time ago. With right | | | | flatulence, diarrhea, stomach pain, irregular menstruation, |
| measure together with other herbs, cloves can heal | | | | bad breath, increases appetite, heals swollen gums, |
| toothache, heavy cough, fever because of Malaria, | | | | toothache. There is a traditional drink from west Java |
| pain during the menstruation and also to solve bad | | | | called 'Bandrek' which is made from lemongrass's stick. |
| breath problem. | | | | It's good to warm the body. |
| - Ginger is widely used across the country either for | | | | Despite all those spices above, there are still many |
| cuisine or medication. There's a special drink in Central | | | | herbs and spices in Indonesia which have great |
| Java called 'Wedang Ronde' which is made from | | | | benefits for the persons health. As long as you use |
| ginger and peanuts and it's good for healing a sore | | | | them with the right measurement/dosage. |
| throat. Ginger is also good to increase the body | | | | |