Indonesian Superfoods - Secret Medicines for Fighting Cancer

Indonesia is full of super-foods and vitamin-packed fruits and some are even used as powerful cancer treatments.  Jamu (herbal medicine) is very popular in Indonesia and is the traditional form of treatment for illnesses.  Nutritionists have been campaigning for years about the effectiveness of raw juice diets as a way to treat cancer and the famous successful example includes the Gerber treatment which combines organic vegetable juices with coffee enemas as an alternative method to chemotherapy.

Here are some of the top super-foods to be found in Indonesia:

Tumeric
A powerful anti-cancer root it contains curcumin, an anti-oxidant and studies have shown that it slows down the growth and spread of cancer cells and has even killed certain cancer cells.  As an anti-inflammatory it is also used to reduce inflammations caused by arthritis, muscle pains and for menstrual cramps.

Ginger
This medicinal plant has historically been used to treat digestive problems including diarrhea, nausea and stomach upsets. Studies have shown that ginger can kill certain cancer cells including ovarian cancer cells.  It is also used to treat menstruation cramps, high blood pressure and asthma.

Red Fruit (buah merah)
Red fruit comes from Papua and its oil is often used in treatment of cancer, aids, high blood pressure, diabetes and hepatitis. As a powerful anti-oxidant it also contains unsaturated fatty acids, beta carotene, calcium and omega 3, omega 6, omega 9.

Moringa (daun kelor)
In Indonesia, the super-food wheatgrass can be easily substituted with daun kelor (moringa) - which is full of nutrients including calcium, potassium, protein and brimming with vitamins A and C.  Although daun kelor grows all over Indonesia it is rarely traded at the market and is not well-known for its nutritional qualities - it is usually only eaten by those in the villages.  Containing 46 anti-oxidants it has 7 times the levels of vitamin C as oranges and its leaves are anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral.

Other super-foods that can easily be found in Indonesia include:
avocadoes
strawberries (grown in East Java)
honey
pineapple (anti-cancer)
noni juice (anti-cancer)
carrot (anti-cancer)
cucumber
brocolli
mangosteen
tomatoes
coconut water
pumpkin seeds

Making a Super-food 4-layer Pudding

Here's the recipe for this yummy fruit pudding which includes 4 super-foods plus lots of honey. 
(feeds 5 people)

First layer:
6 bananas
1 tbsp wheatgrass powder
1 1/2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

mix ingredients up in a food processor with 2 tbsp water and layer in a glass.

Second layer:
3 mangoes
1 tbsp honey

mix ingredients up in a food processor with 2 tbsp water and layer in the glass.

Third layer:
1 avocado
3 bananas
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp cocoa powder

Mix all together in food processor and layer in the glass.

Add cut up strawberries

Place glasses in the freezer to set, then remove and keep in the fridge.
Enjoy!