Jamu

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Jamu — Evidence & Practitioners | Gyfts

Background

Origin & History

Jamu has been practised in the Indonesian archipelago for over a thousand years, with roots in both indigenous Austronesian plant knowledge and historical influences from Indian Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, and Arab-Islamic medicine carried along trading routes. The oldest recorded evidence comes from the Madhawapura relief on the Borobudur temple (9th century), depicting herbal preparation. The Javanese Serat Centhini manuscript (early 19th century) documents hundreds of traditional formulas. Jamu was traditionally prepared and distributed by jamu gendong sellers — typically women carrying bottles of freshly made herbal drinks on their backs, moving through neighbourhoods each morning. This practice continues across Indonesia today. During the 20th century, family-based Jamu production scaled into major Indonesian industries — companies such as Sido Muncul, Jamu Jago, and Air Mancur became household brands. In 2019, Indonesia''s Ministry of Education and Culture formally recognised Jamu as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. Indonesia''s BPOM has established a three-tier regulatory system for herbal medicines: Jamu (traditional use), OHT (standardised herbal medicine requiring pre-clinical evidence), and Fitofarmaka (phytomedicine requiring clinical trials).

The practice

How It Works

Jamu operates through a holistic framework that views health as balance between the body''s hot and cold energies, influenced by diet, activity, environment, and emotional state. Remedies are prepared from fresh botanicals — most commonly turmeric (Curcuma longa), ginger (Zingiber officinale), tamarind (Tamarindus indica), galangal (Alpinia galanga), betel leaf (Piper betle), and numerous locally endemic plants. Preparations include: jamu gendong (freshly prepared liquid tonics carried in bottles by itinerant sellers), jamu seduhan (powdered herbs dissolved in water), and jamu godogan (decoctions boiled for extended periods). Traditional formulations are classified by function — jamu for women''s health (jamu khusus wanita), post-partum recovery (jamu selapan), digestive health, respiratory health, vitality, and beauty. Modern Jamu is also produced as standardised herbal medicines (Obat Herbal Terstandar, OHT) and phytomedicines (Fitofarmaka) under Indonesia''s BPOM (national drug agency) regulatory framework, which requires increasing levels of clinical evidence for each classification tier.

What to Expect in a Session

Traditional Jamu practice varies widely across Indonesia. In the jamu gendong tradition, an itinerant seller prepares fresh herbal drinks each morning and carries them through the neighbourhood. Customers describe their symptoms or health goals, and the seller recommends an appropriate preparation. Common offerings include beras kencur (rice and kaempferia for fatigue), kunyit asam (turmeric and tamarind for menstrual health), temulawak (Javanese turmeric for liver and digestion), and pahitan (bitter herbs for appetite and metabolism). In more formal settings, a traditional Jamu healer (dukun or tabib) conducts a consultation including pulse reading, observation, and questioning about symptoms, diet, and constitution. They may prepare individualised decoctions or powdered formulations. Modern Jamu clinics in Indonesia combine traditional knowledge with basic clinical assessment. Self-care Jamu — prepared at home or purchased as commercial products — is practised daily by millions of Indonesians as a health maintenance routine, particularly in Java.

Mechanisms

How It’s Proposed to Work

The biological and psychological processes proposed to underlie how Jamu is thought to work.

Botanical Synergy

Traditional multi-ingredient formulations combine plants with complementary properties — warming and cooling, stimulating and soothing — based on centuries of empirical observation of combined effects.

Hot-Cold Constitutional Balance

The traditional framework classifies both conditions and remedies along a hot-cold axis, selecting treatments that restore balance to the individual''s constitution and current state.

Daily Preventive Practice

Jamu is practised as a daily health maintenance routine rather than solely as therapeutic intervention, embedding botanical medicine into everyday diet and lifestyle.

Bioactive Compound Delivery

Key Jamu ingredients deliver well-characterised bioactive compounds — curcuminoids from turmeric, gingerols from ginger, galangin from galangal — with documented anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and digestive properties.

Evidence Assessment

Scientific evidence for specific Jamu formulations is limited but growing, driven by Indonesia''s national research infrastructure. Individual Jamu ingredients — particularly turmeric/curcumin, ginger, and galangal — have extensive independent research bases. However, evidence for traditional multi-ingredient Jamu formulations as they are actually used is sparse. Elfahmi et al. (2014) published a comprehensive review of the Indonesian Jamu system in the Journal of Herbal Medicine, documenting the regulatory framework and research landscape. Riswan and Sangat-Roemantyo (2002) surveyed Jamu''s ethnobotanical foundations. Indonesia''s BPOM has approved a small but growing number of Jamu-based phytomedicines (Fitofarmaka) that have completed clinical trials, including products for osteoarthritis, hyperuricaemia, and dyspepsia. A significant challenge for evidence generation is the sheer diversity of formulations across Indonesia''s 17,000+ islands and 300+ ethnic groups, making standardisation difficult. UNESCO and WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy recognition has increased international research interest.

Evidence varies by condition and individual response. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.

References

1.Elfahmi, Woerdenbag, H. J., & Kayser, O. (2014). Jamu: Indonesian traditional herbal medicine towards rational phytopharmacological use. Journal of Herbal Medicine, 4(2), 51–73.
2.Nugraha, A. S., et al. (2024). Indonesian Jamu: From traditional knowledge to evidence-based herbal medicine. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 327, 117997.
3.Riswan, S., & Sangat-Roemantyo, H. (2002). Jamu as traditional medicine in Java, Indonesia. South Pacific Study, 23(1), 1–10.
4.Ministry of Education and Culture, Republic of Indonesia. (2019). Inscription of Jamu as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia.
5.Nugraha, A. S., et al. (2025). Quality control challenges and regulatory framework for Indonesian herbal medicines (Jamu). Phytomedicine, 136, 156330.

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Jamu?

Jamu is Indonesia''s traditional herbal medicine system, using locally sourced tropical plants to prepare fresh tonics, powders, and decoctions for health maintenance and therapeutic use. It has been practised for over a thousand years across the Indonesian archipelago and is part of the daily health routine for millions of Indonesians.

What are the most common Jamu ingredients?

Turmeric (kunyit), ginger (jahe), tamarind (asam jawa), galangal (lengkuas), Javanese turmeric (temulawak), betel leaf (sirih), rice flour with kaempferia (beras kencur), and numerous locally endemic plants. Formulations vary widely across Indonesia''s 17,000+ islands.

Is Jamu safe?

Traditional fresh preparations from trusted sources generally carry low risk. However, some commercial Jamu products have been found to contain undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients, so purchasing from reputable, BPOM-registered manufacturers is important. Herb-drug interactions are possible.

Is there scientific evidence for Jamu?

Individual Jamu ingredients like turmeric and ginger have strong independent research bases. However, traditional multi-ingredient Jamu formulations as actually used lack controlled clinical trials. Indonesia''s regulatory system is incentivising evidence generation through its three-tier classification.

What is a jamu gendong seller?

A jamu gendong seller is a traditional itinerant herbalist — typically a woman — who prepares fresh Jamu drinks each morning and carries them in bottles through the neighbourhood, recommending specific preparations based on customers'' symptoms and health goals. This practice continues across Indonesia today.

Is Jamu the same as Ayurveda or TCM?

No. While Jamu has been influenced by both Ayurveda and Chinese medicine through historical trade routes, it is a distinct system with its own materia medica (primarily Southeast Asian botanicals), preparation methods, and cultural framework. It is specifically Indonesian in origin and practice.

Can I get Jamu outside Indonesia?

Jamu products are increasingly available internationally through Indonesian grocery stores and online retailers. However, the traditional jamu gendong experience of freshly prepared tonics is largely limited to Indonesia. Look for BPOM-registered products for quality assurance.

Ask Vidi about Jamu

Origin & History

How It Works

What to Expect in a Session

How It’s Proposed to Work

Botanical Synergy

Hot-Cold Constitutional Balance

Daily Preventive Practice

Bioactive Compound Delivery

References

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Is This For?

Best for

Not ideal for

Commonly used for

Irritable bowel syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Stress

Chronic pain

High Blood Pressure

Anxiety

Migraine

Insomnia

Depression & Low Mood

Symptoms practitioners commonly work with