Tag: Cosmetics

Black Pepper & Turmeric Benefits

We knows that both Turmeric and Black Pepper carries several medical benefits such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-arthritis, and many others.  This is mostly attributed by the compounds of curcumin and piperine that are formed in turmeric and black pepper.

Curcumin Research

Turmeric contains curcuminoids, which are bioactive compounds, and curcumin is one of these curcuminoid compounds. Research suggests that curcumin can help in the management of oxidative and inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndrome, arthritis, anxiety, and hyper lipidaemia. It may also help in the management of exercise-induced inflammation and muscle soreness, thus enhancing recovery and subsequent performance in active people.

Piperine is the alkaloid responsible for the pungency of black pepper. Piperine has many pharmacological effects and several health benefits, especially against chronic diseases, such as reduction of insulin-resistance, anti-inflammatory effects, and improvement of hepatic steatosis.

At Entropy, we have purposely combined the ingredients of turmeric with black pepper in our Kraton Asli jamu concoctions. There are several good reasons why this is done which is backed by scientific studies.  The reasons outlined below will provide you good understanding of why these two ingredients should be combined before you ingest them.

 1. Piperine Increases Curcumin Absorption by 2000%

Although the curcumin found in turmeric has several powerful health benefits, it isn’t able to absorb into your bloodstream very well. Your body will start to phase it out of your system before you can get the full benefits of this supplement if you try to ingest it on its own.

This is where black pepper comes in. It is easily absorbed by your body, and it creates a buffer that stops your body from breaking down the curcumin as quickly as it does. (1) It also helps your body absorb more of the curcumin and turmeric, and studies show that it can actually increase the absorption levels by 2,000%. (2) There are two main theories about how this works.

• Piperine has sedative and muscle relaxant properties, and this extends to your intestinal muscles. (3) As it causes your muscles to relax, they start to allow the larger curcumin molecules to pass through into your body. Once it gets past the intestinal wall, your body can take longer to absorb the nutrients.
• Your liver is the organ that works hard to rid your body of any toxins or leftover residue from the food you eat or the various processes that go on in your body. Unfortunately, it may start this process far too quickly with curcumin. Piperine slows this process down, and it gives your body more time to absorb the curcumin. (4)

2. This Combination Rivals Pharmaceutical Anti-inflammatory Drugs

Although both turmeric and black pepper have powerful properties on their own, combining them may actually enhance these properties, so they’re on par with common anti-inflammatory drugs. This allows you to get all of the benefits of the drugs without having to worry about the side effects.

The piperine can reduce the amount of pain and inflammation that comes with arthritis. However, the curcumin found in turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory properties that may prevent arthritis from forming in the first place. (5) So, when you combine these two supplements, you could potentially get an arthritis treatment that is as effective as traditional over the counter medications.

3. This Combination Provides Another Option in the Battle Against Cancer

Combining turmeric and black pepper has several anti-cancer properties. Studies showed that this combination interrupted the self-renewal and growth process of breast cancer cells. (6) Additionally, curcumin and piperine work to kill cancer cells for various types of cancer including colorectal, breast, prostate, pancreatic and leukaemia. (7)

Other studies showed that combining turmeric and black pepper extracts can help to protect your healthy tissue and cells from damage due to radiation and other cancer treatments. (8) In turn, this can reduce your healing time and complication risk.

4. The Combination Rivals Diabetic Pharmaceuticals

In 2009, Biochemistry and Biophysical Research Communications published a study that found that curcumin can be up to 400 times more potent than the leading diabetes drug metformin when it comes to activating the AMPK enzyme. (9) Other research showed that when you combine turmeric and black pepper extracts, they work in tandem as antiglycation agents. (10) This means that the combination of these two supplements can help you improve your overall glucose control.

5. Combining Turmeric and Black Pepper Promotes Liver Health

Your liver plays a vital role in your body. (11) It helps to filter out all of the toxins, and it stimulates your cells to produce more enzymes. Turmeric is an excellent supplement for liver detoxification. It increases the overall bile production and lowers cholesterol levels so your liver can work at a peak function. (12)

Piperine increases the absorption level of nutrients in your body, and this includes your liver. When you combine the two, it helps turmeric increase the absorption levels of glutathione while shielding the liver from toxin damage. (13) Glutathione adds another layer of protection because it protects your liver at a cellular level.

The Best Ratio of Turmeric to Black Pepper

Black pepper is what activates turmeric, but there is a lot of conflicting information available on what the best ratio of turmeric to black pepper is. It depends heavily on what your motivation is for taking the supplements in the first place. However, a good rule of thumb is generally 1/4 of a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper to 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder. This works out to roughly 1:4 for a ratio. This ratio will vary depending on the freshness of your ingredients and what you want to use them for. However, the 1:4 ratio is a good starting point and baseline.

The Best Ratio of Curcumin to Piperine

This ratio is slightly more complex because only a certain percentage of turmeric and black pepper contains curcumin and piperine. To add to the complexity, the ratio differs from spice to spice and what benefits you’re trying to get from it.

For example, the average curcumin content in turmeric ranges between 4% and 7%, and the piperine content in black pepper ranges between 2% and 7%. (14) (15) However, a good baseline ratio of curcumin to piperine is 100:1. This works out to around 1.5 teaspoons of black pepper powder to half of a cup of turmeric. You may want to start smaller and work your way up to larger doses.

Final Thoughts on Turmeric and Black Pepper

By now, you should have a good understanding of turmeric and black pepper. Our overview of what they are and their important active ingredients along with our science-backed benefits should give you all of the knowledge you need to decide if these supplements are a good choice for your lifestyle.

 Extracts of content: originally published by “happy mammoth blog” on September 15, 2018 and updated on May 13, 2022 (https://happymammoth.com/blogs/happy-blog/turmeric-and-black-pepper)

My Mom Drinking Jamu

Approximately fifty years ago, I still remember my mom was in labor delivering her third child at home.  She was in pain and sweating and asked our lady neighbor to pass her the “obat” which was prepared by a local bidan (i.e., mid-wife) who was a very old lady.  It was apparently concoctions of herbs prepared for woman in labor by the mid-wife.

I wasn’t sure for what purpose it was, but not long after that my mother safely delivered my second sister.  Post-delivery, there are list of taboos for a period of 40 days that includes drinking herbal drinks on daily basis days and nights.  It also includes post-delivery massages which includes rolling hot stones across her abdomen and followed with drinking herbal drinks.

It was only years later that I understood that my mother was consuming various JAMU at different stages of her pregnancy, delivery and post-delivery.  And the hot-stone massage using huge round boulder is what is now known as “bertunku” in our Malay language.

Well, my contextual discussion here today is about JAMU consumption that was widely practiced in our Malaysian culture in the past, but somehow is forgotten and slowly disappearing in our daily life.  

How I Started Drinking Jamu

Personally, I never consume Jamu in my life until about 20 years ago during my business trip to Jakarta where I was offered a cup of hot “jahe” after a massage session.  Instantly I burb and looked at my masseur.

She explained that it is a JAMU made from Red Ginger and mixed with Gula Aren (Coconut Sugar), meant to remove “angin” (air) from your body and a natural detoxication agent.  The taste is quite nice though and I felt refreshed.

Well, apparently drinking JAMU is a culture in Indonesia where peoples drinking JAMU daily for detoxication and to improve their body immune system. In some families, “jahe” is served every morning for kids and adults before going to school or work.

In summary, JAMU is widely consumed in Indonesia for health maintenance to prevent illness. 

In contrary, JAMU in Malaysia is consumed to address health issues like lethargy, constipation, menstrual disorder, diabetes, and others.   My wife (with Javanese origin), for instance would boil concoctions of turmeric, red ginger, tamarind, and palm sugar whenever she had irregular period.

Upon consumption, the problem immediately disappeared, and she would stop consuming and share the leftover with friends and neighbors.  This is what I meant by drinking JAMU as remedy to your health issues.

I never tried any of her home made JAMU as I was unsure of its effectiveness.  Furthermore, like many other Malaysians, I prefer to look for medical remedies at pharmacies since the products sold at drug store are well regulated by the Ministry of Health.

It was not until Covid-19 pandemic that opened-up my eyes on the miracles of drinking JAMU.  I watched on TV as well as social media that the President of Indonesia himself, Mr. Jokowi repeatedly reminding his fellow Indonesian citizens to stay healthy by consuming JAMU and fights the virus in a natural way (while waiting for vaccines that were yet to be made available for 270+ million population!).

Not just him, but also by other ministers, provincial leaders, teachers and even doctors encouraging their fellow Indonesian to increase the immune system by consuming JAMU.  

Well, despite low vaccination rates and the challenges in getting its people to comply to SOP, Indonesia managed to keep their Covid-19 infection rates much lower than Malaysia (in relative to population size) as well as lower death rates. 

We might argue on the transparency of reporting Covid-19 cases in Indonesia, but the fact remains that Indonesia managed to stand tall upon the pandemic recovery without seeing millions of dead bodies piling on the street its cities.

It’s a miracle on how Indonesia managed to pull out from the pandemic much better than what we might expect due to their shortfalls. Impressed on this miracle herbal drinks, we have embarked on a project to revive drinking jamu in Malaysia as a culture rather than remedy.

Our research found a few key issues on why Jamu drinking is not popular within our Malaysian societies.   The major reason is the lack of knowledge on its content with fear that the concoctions might comprise dangerous substances that could be harmful to our health and life. 

In specific, many respondents worry of the impact on our kidneys that could lead into renal failure. And quite a few respondents also dislike the taste which is generally bitter with extreme tanginess.

At Entropy, we have researched the recipes of Jamu and altered its content to ensure it tastes good.  Our first product line, Jamu Kraton Asli, comprised of all herbal based concoctions without the usage of any preservative, coloring or flavoring agents. 

The bitterness and tanginess of herbs are much reduced with the introduction of sinom, tamarind juice, palm nectar, honey and mango juice.  The taste ends up very nice and refreshing especially when it is chilled. 

Since Jamu Kraton Asli is a plant-based concoctions, it is classified under Food and Beverages by KKM (Ministry of Health, Malaysia).  Therefore, it may consume without regulated quantity and can be consumed like another juice.

The credibility of this Jamu as Immune Booster with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-coagulant, etc. properties is certified by SIRIM that conducted chemical tests on its samples. 

The results of SIRIM tests are published at our website for cross references.  We look forward for the journey of reviving Drinking Jamu As Culture in Malaysia for the current and future generations.

Entropy Energy Sdn Bhd (Entropy), a locally incorporated Malaysia based company has embarked into an interesting business portfolio to revive Jamu drinking as daily supplements to all Malaysians.  Jamu is essentially herbal drink made up from natural plants and herbs to increase our body immune system.  While it’s rich in antioxidants, drinking Jamu could be challenging due to its bizarre taste with mixed of bitter and tanginess that discourages consumptions especially for young children. 

Jamu Kraton Asli

Entropy has recently announced their intention to revive Jamu drinking tradition by altering the recipes to ensure good taste and suits people of various background, while retaining its nutritional benefits.  The first product under the brand name Kraton will be launched by end-June 2022.   This first Jamu product will be branded as Jamu Kraton Asli.  The name Kraton was taken from the Javanese ancient history that refers to The Queens palace.  It is here the best and most secret Jamu recipes were kept and only meant for the royal consumptions and their aristocrat friends. 

Get Your Jamu Kraton Asli Here

Entropy is branding Kraton Jamu Asli as the “Mother Jamu” or also known as “The Origins” for which other variation of Kraton Jamu products shall be derived.  For example, down the line in early 2023, Entropy shall launch special Jamu called “Tombo Ati” which is meant for cholesterol management. Tombo Ati is Javanese words for Heart Cleanser, which comprises of concoctions of “Mother Jamu (The Origins)” and a few other herbs that can significantly help to reduce cholesterol in the blood stream.  

Jamu Kraton Asli is a specially blended herbal concoctions that comprise of turmeric, red ginger, black pepper, tamarind, sinom, honey, mango, palm nectar, acacia fiber and iodized salt.  Turmeric, Red Ginger, Tamarind, and Black Pepper is the main components that are responsible to enhance our immune system since its rich in compounds like curcumin, gingerol, and piperine.  These compounds are known in the medical world to be effective antioxidants since it has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-coagulant, and wound healing properties.

Honey, mango, sinom, palm nectar, and iodized salt are used to neutralize the tanginess and bitterness of the main herbs. Each of these flavoring herbs also carries various medical benefits that supplement the main herbs.  Acacia Fiber on the other hand is known as Water Soluble Fiber (WSF) that act as a natural stabilizer for the overall concoctions while it also assists in weight management by suppressing appetite.  Acacia fiber is also a natural source of pre-biotic for our digestive system and it promotes better gut management. 

Little is known about the role of iodized salt in this part of the world to our daily health.  Entropy is utilizing only iodized salt in Jamu Kraton Asli recipe for reasons.  Iodized salt is very important  since our thyroid gland relies on iodine to increase the production of thyroid hormones, like triiodothyronine and thyroxine. These hormones are vital to our health, as they regulate blood pressure, body temperature, and heart rate. Proper bone and brain development in pregnancy and infancy are also dependent on these thyroid hormones.  Lacking iodine in diet may also cause enlargement of thyroid gland, a condition known as goitre. 

Jamu Kraton Asli tastes good that you hardly recognize it as herbal drink.  It tastes more like juices but packed with powerful nutrients and vitamins.   Entropy is now acquiring KKM (Ministry of Health) permit for Kraton Asli categorization under Food and Beverages.  To instill public confidence on the effectiveness of its nutrients, Entropy took the initiative to have Kraton Asli tested by SIRIM (Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia) to verify its content as safe and contains antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-coagulant, and others.  The results of these tests will be shared in this website for public references.

Get Your Jamu Kraton Asli Here

Let’s look forward for the launch of Jamu Kraton Asli by June 2022 and share the experience in consuming this Royal Drinks. 

In this article we will explain real fact between Jamu Consumption vs Covid-19 Pandemic in Indonesia country.

For the past two years, Covid-19 Pandemic has impacted everybody worldwide including Malaysia and Indonesia. While the pandemic is well managed in Malaysia, the situation is the opposite with its neighboring country, Indonesia. With population of 279 million people spread across 17,508 islands, managing Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia is indeed a nightmare.  Unlike western countries, it’s a very challenging for Indonesia to reach out and educate every one of its citizens to be vaccinated.   

Dapatkan Jamu Kraton Asli Di sini

Reports published by local medical experts believe that almost one in each family has been infected with the virus, even though official reports published by Indonesian authority is a lot lower, even lower than Malaysia.  Its strongly believed that report by the Indonesian authorities are well “massaged” to avert panic.  Nevertheless, despite all these, we don’t find dead bodies everywhere in the street of Jakarta either. 

One interesting culture that we noticed is that Jamu consumption (herbal drinks) has been actively promoted by its president Jokowi, the ministers, and provincial leaders.  You can even find Mr. Jokowi in TikTok Jamu consumption while reminding his people to drink Jamu every morning to boost immunity and stay healthy.

“Well, what is it to do between Jamu consumption and Immune System? “

Well, what is it to do between Jamu and Immune System?  A study indicates that Jamu consumption can be back dated to a history of 1,300 years during the Javanese Mataram Kingdom.  Until today, Jamu is still well consumed by Indonesian and some smaller group of Malaysian amongst Malay of Javanese descendant.  There must be some great benefits for which Jamu drinking tradition can last for 13 centuries. 

Dapatkan Jamu Kraton Asli Di sini

Studies indicate that for each Jamu variation, it will contain two main herbs as its mother origin i.e., turmeric (curcuma longa) and red ginger.  Cross references with dozens of medical journals confirm that both Turmeric and Red Ginger has chemical compounds that provide antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-coagulant, and anti-cancer properties to our body.  Thus, it is a natural immune booster herbal drink.  Please note that these medical benefits are attributed by Curcumin and Gingerol that was naturally derived from Turmeric and Red Ginger. In the west, Curcumin benefits is highly regarded that you may find dozens of curcumin tablets sold in pharmacies.

So, since Jamu consumption is a daily culture in Indonesia, it is not a surprise that they manage to avert bigger impact of Covid-19 to the people at large.  No wonder that even the President himself made many Jamu drinking promotions over social media to insure his people are well protected.  We may not be able to confirm this theory.  But again, let us ponder why aren’t there millions of dead bodies in the streets of Indonesia despite lower vaccination rate and lack of compliance to SOP. Could it be the Indonesian have high immunity level than Malaysian?  Could it be Jamu plays important roles in boosting their level of immunities? Think again.

Recently, Entropy Energy Sdn Bhd has embarked into a project in reviving Jamu drinking among Malaysian across all ages, gender, and races.  Entropy developed its own Jamu line branded as KRATON.   The first product is named “Kraton Asli” with special emphasis to remove tanginess and bitterness taste of Jamu that prohibits regular consumptions.  Jamu Kraton Asli is planned to be launched around end-June 2022.  The product shall carry KKM endorsement and with SIRIM certifications.

 Please look around and keep in mind the name of JAMU KRATON ASLI.