Balinese Traditional Medicine is called Usadha (derived from Sanskrit aushadhi, meaning medicinal herbs).

It originates from the blending of local knowledge with the teachings of Ayurveda and Shaiva Siddantha.

Balinese love to plant medicinal plants and spices on their yard. This habit is related to the Balinese life-concept of Tri Hita Karana, more precisely with the Palemahan concept which describes the relation between humans and their environment.

Usada treatments are listed in palm leaves called the Tutur and Taru Pramana manuscripts (lontar)

6 Types of Treatments

There are 6 ways to apply the medicines:

  • Loloh: herbal drinks
  • Boreh: a cream which is spread around the wound or overall on the body
  • Simbuh: a treatment where the medicine is chewed and then spouted on the wound
  • Oles: similar to boreh but made differently
  • Tempel: treatment where the medicine is just affixed on the wound
  • Tutuh: drop medicines that are dropped on the wound or absorbed through the nostrils

Simple Balinese Remedies

  • Sweet Gum or “ubi karet” (MANIHOT GLAZIOVII). Sweet gum is almost same with cassava leaves, but the leaves of sweet gum are wider, thicker and larger than the size of cassava leaves. It can be used to reduce the pain during menstruation period. How to use:
    • Take 3 pieces of the leaves
    • Boil it until the leaves crushed
    • Add 3 glasses water
    • Drink it every day during two weeks
  • Witbalingo, or ‘Belego’ (BENINCASA HISPIDA) is a vine plant which the fruit can be eaten as a vegetable. Actually, it is a seasonal fruit, but the fruit will be viable in the long time or months. It has many functions such as for treating people who are crying continuously and should not be asked. It is a kind of pain which is sent by others through a black magic. How to use Witbalingo for treating people who are crying continuously.
    • Take the witbalingo’s fruit
    • Add lump sugar, coconut water and asaban cendana
    • Use it as a traditional drink (Loloh)
  • YOUNG COCONUT (COCOS NUCIFERA VARIETAS EBURNEA). Cocos nucifera is very functional tree or tree with high economic value added. This plant can grow to a height of 1.000 m above the sea level. All parts of the tree can be used for human’s needs, so this tree is often called the tree of life. Because almost all parts of this tree, from trunk, root, leaf, nuts, and palm leaf rib can be used for daily people needs. It can be used for relieving fever.
    • Take the young coconut
    • Mix with egg and heat it
    • Put the egg inside the hole of the young coconut
    • Give it to the patient
  • LIME TREE (CITRUS AMBLYCARPA). Citrus amblycarpa is a shrub or small tree of about 5 meters height. It has small fragrant shiny leaves and produces small white flowers. Its fruits have a thick irregular skin and turn from green to yellow when mature. Like the leaves, the fruit has a pleasant smell when it is touched or squeezed. Citrus amblycarpa produces fruits all year round. In the dry season production may decrease. The fruits are best used before they are ripen, so when they are still green. Lemo tree can be used for relieving paraesthesia. Here is the way how to use it :
    • Take the bark of Lemo tree
    • Grind it
    • Add vinegar, and 11 seeds of white pepper
    • Drink it as herbal drink
  • MAJEGAU TREE (DYSOXYLUM DENSIFLORUM). Majegau or Mahoni tree grows as a group in the forest and about 4 metres height. This plant, aside as a herbal drink (loloh), it has a good quality of wood, so widely used as a building material (especially sacred buildings in Bali) and a carving craft materials. It can be used for relieving disease when someone vomit continuously. How to use it :
    • Take the root and leaves
    • Mix it with vinegar and charcoal salt
    • Then grind all the ingredients
    • Filter the water for herbal drink
  • SENTUL TREE (harp fruit/sandoricum koetjape) SPRAYED MEDICINE – The root and leaves can be used for a herb medicine to treat a diarrhea , this plant can be used to blurt the stomach ( Balinese called as sembur/simbuh) . this fruit can prevent the risk of cancer and heart disease. Not only that, the fruit is also believed to prevent premature senility or Alzeimer’s. beside that the leaves of harp fruit (sentul) is also can be used to wash the blood naturally. How to use it :
    • Take the bark of the plants
    • Mix it with 3 slices of temu tis (Curcuma purpurascens)
    • Then mix it with salt
    • Finally the medicine can be spouted to the stomach.
  • BETEL LEAVES HERBAL DRINK (LOLOH). Betel leaves or “Base” in Bali is a plant which grows fertility in tropical land and easy to be found everywhere. Betel leaves are usually used for ngidang by elders community in rural areas. Ngidang is a manner of Balinese to consume the betel leaves. So that, betel leaves has many benefits for body. It is useful as herbal drink (Balinese call it Loloh), especially for bronchitis. Drink it three times a day. How to use it:
    • Take 6-10 pieces young betel leaves
    • Boil it around 5 minutes
    • Filter and drink it
  • CREAM (BOREH) OF GUAVA TREE (Psidium Guajava). This tree is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Several parts of this tree are useful for traditional medicine such as the leaves and the root of this tree, Guava tree (sotong tree) are useful to treat some disease, not only can be used as boreh, but the leaves of this tree also can be used as herbal drink (Balinese called as loloh) to treat the diarrhea. It can be used for relieving acne. How to use it :
    • Take some leaves of Guava tree
    • Then mashed it with eleven seeds of coriander until it smooth
    • It can be used as face powder on the acne and keep it few minutes
    • Clean face with warm water.