The Uses of Sambung Nyawa

* Medicine

* Herbs

Sambung Nyawa

Gynura procumbens is a vine found in the Philippines, the Malay Archipelago, Thailand, and Indo-China. Leaves are ovate-elliptic or lanceolate, 3.5 to 8 centimeters long, and 0.8 to 3.5 centimeters wide. Flowering heads are panicled, narrow, yellow, and 1 to 1.5 centimeters long.

Images of SAMBUNG NYAWA

Kunyit

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of theginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native in southeast India, and needs temperatures between 20 °C and 30 °C (68 °F and 86 °F) and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive. Plants are gathered annually for their rhizomes, and propagated from some of those rhizomes in the following season.

When not used fresh, the rhizomes are boiled for about 30–45 minutes and then dried in hot ovens, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow powder commonly used as a spice in Indian cuisine and curries, for dyeing, and to impart color to mustard condiments. One active ingredient in it is curcumin. It has a distinctly earthy, slightly bitter, slightly hot peppery flavor and a mustardy smell.

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India is a significant producer of turmeric which has regional names based on language and country.

Turmeric is a perennial herbaceous plant, which reaches a stature of up to 1 meter. There are highly branched, yellow to orange, cylindrical, aromatic rhizomes . The leaves are alternate and arranged in two rows . They are divided into leaf sheath,petiole and leaf blade. From the leaf sheaths, a false stem is formed. The petiole is 50 to 115 cm long. The simple leaf blades are usually of a length of 76 to 115 cm and rarely up to 230 cm. They have a width of 38 to 45 cm and are oblong to elliptic narrowing at the tip .

Uses of Kunyit (Dye)

Turmeric makes a poor fabric dye, as it is not very light fast. However, turmeric is commonly used in Indian and Bangladeshi clothing, such as saris and Buddhist monks' robes. Turmeric (coded as E100 when used as a food additive) is used to protect food products from sunlight. The oleoresin is used for oil-containing products. A curcumin and polysorbate solution or curcumin powder dissolved in alcohol is used for water-containing products. Over-coloring, such as in pickles, relishes, and mustard, is sometimes used to compensate for fading.

In combination with annatto (E160b), turmeric has been used to color cheeses, yogurt, dry mixes, salad dressings, winterbutter and margarine. Turmeric is also used to give a yellow color to some prepared mustards, canned chicken broths and other foods (often as a much cheaper replacement for saffron).

Uses of Kunyit (Preliminary Medical Research)

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, "there is little reliable evidence to support the use of turmeric for any health condition because few clinical trials have been conducted."

Although trials are ongoing for the use of turmeric to treat cancer, doses needed for any effect are difficult to establish in humans.

Some research shows compounds in turmeric to have anti-fungal and antibacterial properties; however, curcumin is not one of them.

As of December 2013, turmeric is being evaluated for its potential efficacy against several human diseases in clinical trials, including kidney and cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, several types of cancer and irritable bowel disease. Turmeric is also being investigated for potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and other clinical disorders.

Uses of Kunyit (Folk Medicine and Traditional Uses)

In India, turmeric has been used traditionally for thousands of years as a remedy for stomach and liver ailments, as well as topically to heal sores, basically for its supposed antimicrobial property. In the Siddha system (since c. 1900 BCE) turmeric was a medicine for a range of diseases and conditions, including those of the skin, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal systems, aches, pains, wounds, sprains, and liver disorders. A fresh juice is commonly used in many skin conditions, including eczema,chicken pox, shingles, allergy, and scabies.

The active compound curcumin is believed to have a wide range of biological effects including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant,antitumour, antibacterial, and antiviral activities, which indicate potential in clinical medicine.