A Helping Hand from Herbal Tea

That tiny hand pinched 3 g grains of dry black tea. She put it into a teapot and boiled it over a fire. She drank the hot tea before going to the office. That has been Suprihatin's ritual every morning for the last two years. She feels the benefit of drinking the tea that the excessive thyroid gland and cyst ovarium have gone without surgery.

After giving birth the to second child, Suprihatin intended to arrange the birth spacing. She visited a clinic and was injected antifertility liquid. A week after, the body of the woman who was born in May 5th, 1975, was limp and twinge. Suprihatin hurried to a doctor in order to find out the cause of the health disorder. The medical specialist diagnozed that she was fatigue, but the strange thing was that such disorder often came back. She was surprised when she found out that she had lost 18 kg weight within 5 months.

Therefore she returned to a doctor. The sequel checkup revealed her thyroid secretor hormone (TSH) value was 0. While the thyroksin T3 and T4 were beyond normal, each 3,7 mg/ml and 17,93 ug/dl. Whereas, the normal thyroksin T3 and T4 value is 0,51-1,65 mg/dl and 4,4-12,0 ug/dl. That was the sign that she suffered from hyperthyroid.

For 3 months the 32 year old woman has consumed doctor's prescription medicine, neometrasol, chemotherapy for hyperthyroid sufferer. TSH, the marker of thyroid gland activity was not even rising. Those were the reason why Suprihatin often fainted, easily weary, unstable body temperature, and often urinate. 'My heart beat is stronger and faster,' said the woman who was born in Surakarta, Central Java.

Complication
For a year, Suprihatin lived with the disease as the result of excessive thyroid gland hormone. Whereas, initially the doctor was certain that her disease would have disappeared within 6 months. Therefore, she continued consuming chemotherapy to improve her body immunity. Two months afterwards, her body temperature was in fact upward and the twinge became ever more stinging. She spent her days in bed because her body was weak. Due to the boredom and her disease did not seem to be cured, Suprihatin tried black tea which was brought by her relative, Sunoko. With the impulse to recover, she drank a glass of hot black tea in the morning and afternoon.

After a month consuming, Suprihatin felt the difference. Her body felt fresh and no more short-winded which often came. The good news was also supported by the laboratorium check up result that proven her of being freed from hyperthyroid disease.

The black tea effectiveness in curing diseases has been found since thousand of years ago. A lot of people in Taiwan, China, and Japan feel the benefit. Black tea is rich in antioxidant to help curing cancer and liver disorder.

'Tea is able to help getting rid of various diseases due to its complete substance,' said dr Wiliam Adi Teja, a doctor and also a herbalist in Jakarta. Tea contains polyfenol, flavonoids, and katekin. The function of polyfenol is to neutralize free radicals, so it is able to prevent heart attack and cancer. The nature of flavonoids is an anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and antioxidant natural compound. While katekin is a strong antioxidant, stonger than vitamin E, C, and betacaroten.

Indian Pennywort
Herbal tea is the term for foliage or parts of other medicinal plants which are dried. To drink it, consumers only need to boil it, just like Camelia sinensis tea leaves. At the market there are now available various ingredients and Indian pennywort is among the many. The merit of Centella asiatica leaves is felt by Subiakto who suffered from liver. His SGOT (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase) value was 119 U/L and SPGT (serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase) value was 232,6 U/L while the normal content of SGOT is only 0-37 U/L and SPGT 0-41 U/L.

Both are the parameter of the liver function. Whenever it is higher than the range it means the liver cell is badly damaged, just as Subiakto experienced. For a week, the man who was born in Jakarta lay in the hospital. He consumed 2 kinds of medicine, HP Pro and Imprek. The chemical synthetic caplet improves protection so that the liver damaged does not extend considerably. In order to accelerate the recovery, Subiakto frequently checked himself to the doctor. However, up to 7 months consuming the medicine, he had not recovered yet.

Therefore, the man who was born in May 10th, 1975 followed his friend's advice to consume Indian pennywort leaves. In September 2004, after 7 months having liver, he began to drink the infusion of 20 gram of dried daun kaki kuda-the term for Indian pennywort leaves in Malay. The dose is a glass with the frequency of 3 times a day. After 5 times consuming the concoction, his face which at first was pale, looked fresh. A month afterwards, he checked his health in a laboratory. The result showed the whole liver disease parameter has been back to normal. It indicates that Subiakto has recovered.

Indian pennywort is rich of antioxidant, it helps curing liver disorder. The content of acetic acid, betacarotene, betakariophylene, betaelemena, betafarsenen, betasisterol, brahminoside, and many other compounds are effective in attacking and destroying liver diseases including hepatitis. Indian pennywort can also overcome measles disorders, fever, sore throat, and inflamed red eyes. It is due to its content of anti-inflammatory dan anti-infection are high. 'Drinking Indian pennywort tea becomes more gratify, not only delicious but also healthful,' Subiakto said.

Proven Merit
It has been a long time since the family member of Umbelliferae has the merit as antioxidant, skin medicine, improving nerve disorder and blood circulation. According to Yasir Hassan Siddique, a researcher in Aligar Muslim University, by giving 50 mg/ kg/ day Indian pennywort extract for 14 days, it will increase antioxidant enzyme such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), katalase, glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), and antioxidant glutathione (GSH).

A pre-clinical test also proved that Indian pennywort extract plays a role as antigenotoxic against human lymphosite. It also increases the activity of acethylcholine esterase in hyppocampus so increasing the brain function performance on young mices.

Mahanom Hussin, a researcher from the Faculty of Food Studies and Biotechnology of Putra Malaysia University (Fakultas Ilmu Pangan dan Bioteknologi Universitas Putra Malaysia), has proven that Indian pennywort extract lessens oxidative stress. The malonaldehyde content in the mice which were given Indian pennywort extract was very low so that it indicated the decline of lipid peroxide.

'At old age, the fat metabolism tends to decrease as a result of the enzyme activity declined. It makes the lipid peroxide in blood to increase,' said dr Mohamad Soleh Mkes who opens a practice in Bogor. The increasing of the lipid peroxide content in the blood brings about oxidative stress. It means gotu kola tea-its name in India-has the merit in maintaining the stamina of the body.

Besides Indian pennywort, other shrub which has a merit as a hepatoprotector alias liver protector is tridax daisy. The merit of ghamra-its term in India-is proven through a series of research conducted by Vilwanathan Ravikumar. The researcher of the University of Madras India used the liver of wistar albino masculine mice. The rodents were induced with lipopolysacharide, hepatitis arousal substance. Ten days later, the mice were given tridax daisy extract Tridax procumbens. The dose was 300 mg/kg body weight.

The result was the enzyme activity of hepatitis marker-aspartat transaminase, alanin transaminase, alkalin phosphate, laktat dehidrogenase, dan gamma glutamyl transferase-which increased, is back to normal. The weeds contains prokumbetine. This kind of flavanoids compound is an antioxidant for free radical preventive. 'Antioxidant is able to prevent cholesterol which is attached to blood vessel,' said Prof Dr Ir Ali Khomsan MS, the professor of Ilmu Pangan dan Gizi Institut Pertanian Bogor (Food and Nutrients Studies of Bogor Agricultural Institute). It means tridax daisy is able to expel heart disease.

Rosela Flower
Other herbal tea which is consumed is rosela. The popularity of the herb has increased within last year. It may be because the Hibiscus sabdariffa has many merits. The family member of Malvaceae plays a role as antioxidant, antimutagenic, anticancer, hypolipidemic, and hepatoprotector. Ir Didah Nurfarida Msi, a researcher in the Technology and Food Studies (Ilmu dan Teknologi Pangan), Institute Pertanian Bogor, found that antioxidant content reaches 1,7 mmmol/prolox. Antioxidant is functioned to make free radical cells which damage the cell core disappear. In addition, 'Rosela has anticancer effect,' said Didah.

Rosela is also able to stifle another disease like hypertension and cholesterol. It is not just a useless rumor, but it has been proved through a validity test. There are recorded 42 patients who routinely consume rosela extract in a form of a 500 mg capsule, which is effective in lessening the cholesterol content. Those who are 18-75 years old were at first having cholesterol content 175-327 mg/dl. Within a month sipping rosela, the cholesterol in blood was back to normal.

The result is supported by a clinical test conducted by the nursing school of Chung Shan Medical University. The conclusion is by consuming 1 g of rosela flower capsule extact every day for a month is effective to lessen cholesterol up to 12%. The result of nutrition test showed that the rosela extract capsule contains 20,1 mg anthosianin, 10 mg flavonoids, and 14 mg polifenol.

The family of hibiscus which grows in Africa is also effective in overcoming hypertension. It is proven by F B O Mojiminiyi a researcher in Physiology Department, Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, Nigeria. He conducted an experiment upon 72 masculine wistar mice weighing 200-216 g which were classified in 12 groups. Each mice group was induced with hypertension arousal agents and 8% of salt added in the diet, and also 50 mg of nitrit oxide synthesis per kg per body weight. The hypertension arousal was given for 5 weeks.

Afterwards, the experimental animals were given the extract of rosela liquid with the dose 1 mg, 5 mg, 25 mg, and 125 mg/ kg body weight. It resulted that the blood presure of the mice which were given with 125 mg/kg dose of rosela extract was decreased to 2,5 times compared to the control group. The mechanism of anti-hypertension effect of rosela petals is traced by isolating the aorta ring of mice which suffered from spontaneous hypertension. Apparently, rosela extract fixes the aorta ring vasolidator response. Vasolidator has the function to widen the blood vessel so as to accelerate the blood circulation.

V a r y
Other herbal tea ingredient, the extract inside daun dewa Gynura segetum, is very suitable for tubercolosis sufferer. It is because daun dewa has anti-microbe nature which is able to attack and destroy the germ lung disorder cause. It is special due to its sweetness and the cold sensation touching the tongue.

So, if you are tired because your stamina declined, do not hesitate to drink herbal tea. Indian pennywort tea, rosela, or daun dewa tea are some other choices. The important thing is the plants must fulfil certain requirement before they are blended. The leaves or the fruit flesh must be fresh, dark green, maximum size, and unimpaired due to pest and disease attack. (Andretha Helmina & Vina Fitriani)