Beras Kencur (Javanese: ꦧꦼꦫꦱ꧀ꦏꦼꦤ꧀ꦕꦸꦂ) is a popular jamu drink in Indonesia. It is made of kencur (Kaempferia galanga) and beras (rice) as the main ingredients, hence the name. Most jamu tastes bitter, but Beras Kencur is served with sugar and tamarind, making it sweet and refreshing. Many children like to drink Beras Kencur and parents also like to give it to their children as it improves their appetites.
Kencur (Kaempferia galanga), the main ingredient of Beras Kencur, is also known as sand ginger, aromatic ginger, cekur (in Malaysia), 山柰 or 沙薑 (in Chinese). It has been used as a folk medicine for rheumatism, dry cough, muscle pain and inflammations in China. In Indonesia and Malaysia, people also take kencur because of its curative property for osteoarthritis, inflammation, rheumatism, sore throat, hypertension as well as tumor1.
Below are some of the benefits that you can get from drinking Beras Kencur:
- Stimulates appetite
This is one of the main reasons parents in Indonesia give this drink to their children. And because Beras Kencur is not bitter like many other jamu, children also love this drink. - Relieves body ache and fatigue
Beras Kencur has been known to boost your energy and removes fatigue and body ache. It is a great drink to increase your stamina and for sports. - Relieves fever, cough with phlegm
Kencur has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine practice to treat coughs with phlegm as well as fever. - Treats hypertension (reduces blood pressure)
Due to its diuretic property, kencur helps your body to get rid of sodium (salt) and water which in turn reduces blood pressure2. - Helps prevent tumour (cancer)
Some research has shown that kencur contains a compound that suppresses the growth of cancerous cells (tumour) and lung metastasis3.
Indeed, various studies demonstrated that kencur possesses antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tuberculosis, anti-dengue, anticancer, and insecticidal properties which are very beneficial for your body.4
References
- Si-Yu Wang, Hui Zhao, Hong-Tao Xu, Xiao-Dong Han, Yun-Shan Wu, Fang-Fang Xu, Xiao-Bo Yang, Ulf Göransson, Bo Liu (2021). Kaempferia galanga L.: Progresses in Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Ethnomedicinal Uses. Front Pharmacol. 2021; 12: 675350. Published online 2021 Oct 19. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.675350 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8560697/
- Fazhuang Yao, Yuying Huang, Yihai Wang, Xiangjiu He (2018). Anti-inflammatory diarylheptanoids and phenolics from the rhizomes of kencur (Kaempferia galanga L.). Industrial Crops and Products. 125:454-461. Published online December 2018. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2018.09.026 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327915852_Anti-inflammatory_diarylheptanoids_and_phenolics_from_the_rhizomes_of_kencur_Kaempferia_galanga_L
- Abdelsamed I. Elshamy, Tarik A. Mohamed, Ahmed F. Essa, Ahmed M. Abd-El Gawad, Ali S. Alqahtani, Abdelaaty A. Shahat, Tatsuro Yoneyama, Abdel Razik H. Farrag, Masaaki Noji, Hesham R. El-Seedi, Akemi Umeyama, Paul W. Paré, Mohamed-Elamir F. Hegazy (2019). Recent Advances in Kaempferia Phytochemistry and Biological Activity: A Comprehensive Review. Nutrients. 2019 Oct; 11(10): 2396. Published online 2019 Oct 7. doi: 10.3390/nu11102396 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6836233/
- Ajay Kumar (2020). Phytochemistry, pharmacological activities and uses of traditional medicinal plant Kaempferia galanga L. – An overview. J Ethnopharmacol 2020 May 10;10;253:112667. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.112667. Epub 2020 Mar2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32061673/
Disclaimer:This article and the references are for informational purposes only and are not meant to replace medical advice. If you have any health concerns or medical conditions, please consult with a healthcare professional.