Page 52 - FoodFocusThailand No.158 May 2019

STRATEGIC R & DD
STRATEGIC R &
Use & Benefits of Thai Herbs

The Great Opportunities for Healthy

Herbal Extracted Drinks

How Wonder at Thai Herbs
There are numerous Thai ingredients which
are categorized as Thai herbs and spices,
brought Thai food outstanding worldwide in
terms of tastes, high nutritional values and
useful for health. According to information
revealed by Herb and Thai Traditional Medicine
Development Division, there are 247 types of
Thai herbs existing in pharmacopoeias in the
National List of Essential Medicines . That
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number is surprisingly big, but it is more
surprising that many of them are unconsciously
contained in our daily dishes without knowing
their health benefits, because Thai herbs is
plants, vegetables and fruits that Thais use as
medicine for long time, the integration of
knowledge to foods has been transferred
through the generations. Thai herbs are used
not only for our dishes but also for the drinks
and refreshment as well, for example, roselle for short time, however, preservation of this extract to stock will be difficult.
juice as a diuretic agent, Bael fruit juice as a (2) Marinated extraction or herbal tinctures can be thought of as more potent method, in
decongestant for the common cold, and which the number of active compounds is higher than traditional infusion due to the difference in
Centella asiatica drink as a tonic for the nervous steeping time and solvent used . The marinating solution or solvent will be selected basically
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system. depending on the polarity of targeted compounds, for example, extraction of polar compounds
like phenolic from Emblic myrobalan will be done with polar solvent such as alcohol and water.
Benefits of Thai Herbs as A Drink Vinegars are also considered as a selective solvent for herbal marinated extraction. Moreover,
Interestingly, most of Thai herbs contain they can be used more casually, and its extract can be consumed even by those who concern
several healthy functions, but some of them alcohol intake without evaporation process. Prof.Dr.Warawut Krusong, an expert in fermentation
have been rarely used for our daily dishes and technology at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), recommends making
drinks due to inaccessibility of information. In herbal marinated extraction for 2 months in vinegar containing 5 percent of
this regard, I herein listed some impressive acetic acid. Because of the benefits of vinegar itself combined with
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Thai herbs suitable for especially preparing the benefits of extracted herbs, the herbal extracted vinegar is
herbal drinks to review their health benefits. suitable and beneficial for a broader range of use, for instance,
Furthermore, based on their taste, it’s shown mixed with honey as healthy drinks, used for a part of dressing
in the table that some could be used as a over salads, or a marinade for meat. Anyone can create their own
replacement of fundamental condiments, for healthy herbal extracted drinks at home using these processes with
example, Licorice may contribute to reduce Thai household herbs!
sugar in drinks.

Herbs Extraction Method เอกสารอ้างอิง/References
Herb and Thai Traditional Medicine Development Division. (2011). Thai herbs existing in pharmacopoeias in
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When extracting the phytochemicals from the National List of Essential Medicines. Retrieved from http://tdc-herbarium.dtam.moph.go.th/index.html
Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health. (2017). Thai Herbal Pharmacopoeia 2017.
herbs, the qualities of extract could be greatly 2 Bangkok, Thailand: Department of Medical Sciences.
affected by the conditions of processes. There 3 Barton, L. (Ed.). (2003). A Thai herbal traditional recipe for health and harmony (3 ed.). Forres, Scotland:
rd
are ancient extraction methods suitable for Findhorn Press.
Olsen, K. (2015). Carotenoid Profiles of Dried Herbs, Water Infusions and Alcoholic Tinctures of Calendula
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immediate (or daily) preparation of herbal Flower and Catnip, Dandelion, Stinging Nettle, and Violet Leaves. Natural Products Chemistry & Research,
drinks. 3(1). doi:10.4172/2329-6836.1000160
Shishehbor, F., Mansoori, A., & Shirani, F. (2017). Vinegar consumption can attenuate postprandial glucose
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(1) The aqueous extractions, for example, and insulin responses; a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Diabetes Research and
decoctions and (tea) infusion are easily Clinical Practice, 127, 1–9. doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2017.01.021
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Mitrou, P., Petsiou, E., Papakonstantinou, E., Maratou, E., Lambadiari, V., Dimitriadis, P., … Dimitriadis, G.
common methods with the intension to soften (2015). The role of acetic acid on glucose uptake and blood flow rates in the skeletal muscle in humans with
and break the cell wall of the herb by heating impaired glucose tolerance. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 69(6), 734–739. doi:10.1038/ejcn.2014.289
7 Budak, N. H., Aykin, E., Seydim, A. C., Greene, A. K., & Guzel-Seydim, Z. B. (2014). Functional Properties of
Vinegar. Journal of Food Science, 79(5), R757–R764. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.12434
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