Arokaya House A pioneer in the Thai traditional treatment

[herbsandhelpers]

 Arokaya House

A pioneer in the Thai traditional treatment known as fermented herbal medicine

When talking about Thai herbal medicines, many people think of a ground herb capsule, bolus or medicine concocted by mixing and simmering a wide variety of herbs to extract the main curative medicines.

But at Arokaya House, owned by Srifah Chavanontakij, you can see a different kind of medicinal herb.

For the past two decades, the place has become well known among those interested in herbal treatments. The myriad of medicines manufactured there are in the form of a herbal liquid that has been fermented for at least six months.

The medicines are tested and studied by several educational institutes and researchers have found they contain highly anti-oxidant and pro-biotic microbes wholesome to our health.

As a result, they are an alternative medicine for health-conscious people looking for a new treatment.

THE BIRTH OF AROKAYA HOUSE

From her childhood, Srifah's life has revolved around herbs. Her ancestors, including her grandfather who came from China, were masters in herbs and traditional treatments.

When she grew up, Srifah soaked up Thai traditional medicine while at the Ministry of Public Health.

''Initially, our fermented herbal liquid was distributed only to members of the family. We found that after drinking it continually, no one in the house got sick. We have never had a fever,'' she said.

''After that, we gave it to our close friends and those who were sick, free of charge. News about our home-made medicines then spread far and wide. The first popular medicine we produced is the fermented great morinda or nam look yo mak.''

Great morinda (Morinda citrifolia) is also known as Indian mulberry and it grows throughout Southeast Asia and into Australia. It can grow up to 9m-high and its fruit is known as cheese fruit or vomit fruit, due to its smell.

According to Srifah, the process of making nam look yo mak is simple. Great morindas are fermented in water mixed with honey. It is popular among cancer patients since it is widely believed that great morinda can invigorate the body and make it healthy.

As a result, Srifah has imported a lot of great morinda fruit.

''Previously, this kind of fruit was rarely consumed by Thais. Great morinda leaves are used for cooking while the fruits are just thrown away. Imported nam look yo is sold at 1,000 baht a bottle. It is very expensive,'' she said.

After great morinda, Srifah has systematically developed and concocted more herbal medicines and her products are widely consumed.

Srifah shows a patient her herbal treatments.

One of her most popular medicines is Jatuphalatika. Srifah was inspired by the medicinal recipe recorded in Tripitaka. This remedy consists of several kinds of herbs including samor thai (Chebulic myrobalan), samor thed (Terminaliagenus), samor pipek (Beleric myrobalan), and makham pom (Emblic myrobalan).

Their medicinal properties enhance the body's immune system so they are suitable for those who suffer allergies, whether children or adults.

So far, Arokaya House has produced more than 10 herbal liquid medicines and all are certified by the Food and Drug Administration.

Manufacturing quality and hygiene is carefully maintained and all herbs are sourced from organic growers. Some herbs are also planted on the 400 square metre plot Arokaya House stands on.

Srifah also emphasises a healthy lifestyle. Her three golden rules that lead to a healthy life involve eating, sleeping and digesting.

The main cause of sickness is often an imbalance of these three activities, such as when we eat no fruit or vegetables, consume too much sugar or have an oily diet.

And when it comes to sleeping, many people spend their night surfing the internet or watching TV. Consequently, the body doesn't rest and we feel drained of energy.

"If you have to work, I suggest you go to bed early and then wake up early. It's better. Staying up late for several consecutive nights can be detrimental to our health," she said.

And an unusual bowel movement also serves as a warning of many diseases. Yet we all can change our way of life by ourselves.

WHY FERMENTING HERBS?

Srifah conducted several experiments and found fermentation yields the best results. Normally, fermentation takes about 180 days or longer for some recipes.

During the process, some substances in the herbs are gradually and gently extracted naturally. Because of this, the natural nutrients are less disturbed when compared to other extraction processes.

Meanwhile, during the fermentation period, organic acid will emerge and it serves as a catalyst to make the body absorb the medicinal herb better.

"Through the fermentation process, we can improve some flaws of Thai medicines. Many people always say that it takes a long time for Thai traditional medicines to yield an effective result," said Srifah.

"But our herbal liquid has been fermented for more than six months so any curative substance in the herbs is broken down into smaller parts and our body can absorb them right away. So it can yield an effective result quicker."

MEDICINES FROM THE HEART

Arokaya House is widely known among those people who suffer chronic diseases and health centres that provide Thai traditional treatment.

Medicines from Arokaya House are used along with Western medicines.

Though there has been some bad press about traditional medicines, Arokaya House has been gaining in popularity.

Apart from Srifah, her three sons and a daughter and some of her grandchildren are part of the work force.

"We have never publicised our products. And we have never thought about business. We're happy in what we've done. Our products are very cheap because we want everybody to try them," said Srifah.

"Very often, our supply can't meet the ever-increasing demand because it takes a very long time to produce each medicine.

"I want to see all people lead a proper life, taking care of their body and soul because a healthy body and soul is the foundation for a healthy life."

As Srifah spoke with mylife, many regular customers called at Arokaya House to buy medicines and ask about their various symptoms including allergies and unusual menstruation.

These patients have gone and tried many different sorts of treatments before finally realising that Arokaya House is their ideal choice.

The house also has a small laboratory to produce fermented herbal liquid. For more information visit: http://arokayahouse.siam2web.com/

Source: Bangkok Post