THE STAR. JULY 10, 2007 NOT THAT POTENT –
Little health benefits in Tongkat Ali Drinks.
There is too little Tongkat Ali herb extract in most coffee products to enable such drinks to have ANY HEALTH BENEFITH OR EXTRA NUTRITION as claimed by their manufacturers.
Consumer
Claims Tribunal Malaysia
03-4042 4181
ttpm.kpdnkk.gov.my
Berita harian, front page report, said a Forest Research Institute of
Malaysia ( FRIM ) study 10 popular Tongkat Ali coffee drinks, 7 of them contained only 0.25% to 1.6% of herbal extract & WAS NO SUFFICIENT TO
BENEFIT ONE’S HEALTH.
The active content was only between 0.0039% & 0.0246%
( 7.8 nano gram to ng ) WAS FAR TOO LOW FOR IT TO BE BENEFICIAL.
To get nutrients from Tongkat Ali needed to take at least 1
mg of its active ingredient for every
kilo of body weight of no exceeding 3 mg for every kilo of body weight daily.
Example, if a person weight to 80 kg, he would have to take a minimum of 80 mg
Tongkat Ali daily to enjoy it benefit.
Federation of Malaysia Consumers Associations
03 - 7877 9000
www.nccc.org.my
ACTION TAKEN – THE STAR NOVEMBER 2nd , 2007
Health Ministry to set
minimum content for Tongkat Ali Drinks.
Once the standard are set, manufacture could be charged if
their products did not have, the required level of the Tongkat Ali, which
contain Tongkat Ali aphrodisiac qualities.
( Analysis by the Ministry, Universities & FRIM showed
that Tongkat Ali contain is at a minimal level in many drinks & did not have any effect at all for the consumer )
Health Ministry will
set a minimum content under Trade Description Act – will discuss it with the
Domestic Trade & Consumer.
Tongkat Ali Nu-Prep 100 (Water Soluble Extract - FREEZE DRIED, 
US Patent 7, 132,117B1 & Europe Specification Patent EP 1,313,491 B1 )
" Is Your New Best Friend "
" Is Your New Best Friend "
Esquire Malaysia April 2012
KLCC. MALAYSIA
Esquire MALAYSIA
April 2012.
TONGKAT ALI IS YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND
RISE UP, TONGKAT ALI
.jpg)
THE COUNTRY’S MOST FAMOUS APHRODIAC COULD BECOME THE WORLD’S SUPERDRUG OF
CHOICE FOR THE FUTURE. COME ALONG FOR THE RIDE.
He stares like he’s watching a stripper dance. But he’s in a
restaurant, not a gentlemen’s club. A middle-aged Chinese man with a simple
white T-shirt and jeans, he’s been spooning his teh tarik while glancing
towards the back of the kopitiam for a full minute. A TV
show starring the young Sharifah Amani hasn’t caught his eye. He’s taken up
by owner to ask her for a price.visions
of small sachets. Indecisive, he wonder if he should beckon the store.
The eatery he’s in, Restoran D’Chow Kit, is famous for three
things. One, it’s right in the centre of the infamous Chow Kit Road. A
relatively obscure street caught in the maze of Kuala Lumpur’s city centre, how
Kit has an almost mythical status for more illicit activities like prostitution
and drug peddling. Named after millionaire entrepreneur Loke Chow Kit, the
street was immortalised by pop legend Sudirman, whose concert here in 1986
attracted 100,000 people and whose song, “ Chow Kit Road”, contained some
ironic observation about being careful when crossing this particular junction.
Di tengah bandaraya walau baik orangnya;
Perlu berhati-hati di tipu pencuri.
Bila melintas jalan jangan sesuka hati;
Ditangkap mata-mata baru padan muka.
Restoran D’Chow Kit is also known for its Ikan Bakar
Menangis, a dish they proudly advertise
on their shop-front signboard. It’s stingray, marinated in liberal doses
of sambal and chilli. And while it looks furiously red, its reputation precedes
itself and the fish is delicious witout burning the naked tongue.
What else is the restaurant known for ? A row of aphrodisiacs
that line their back wall.
John-that’s hoe he
wants to be addressed-has a reason for gawking. He’s a 50-something Singaporean
masseur who’s spent the last 22 years making house-calls to clients in the Lion
City, using a combination of the more traditional Swedish stroke with the
stretching-style of Thai therapy. A skinny guy who hunches, he swears his hands
are strong enough for the job.
“Look at how many clients I have,” he says, flipping through
his address book on his iPhone. People come back to him, he says, because he’s
always up-to date with the latest in the kneading industry. That’s why he come
to KL so often, at least once a month for a few days. He visits massage
parlours here to get tips, meet old friends and to try them out for himself.
Even the dodgy ones. “Not often. But you know, when they offer extra services.
You just...” He stops there and laughs.
John’s heading to a nearby massage parlour off Chow Kit Road
and he’s wondering if he should try a mix labelled “tongkat ali cappuccino”. “I
heard it’s damn good. Very powerful.” “You haven’t tried tongkat ali before?”
“No, but I think I should.” He calls the owner, a lady with
bright red liptick. And ask her how much for a sachet. “RM23.” She recommends
another product, a VR Cafe coffee mix that contain ginseng and tongkat ali.
“Better.”
He thinks for a while. Then he hands over RM50. “Two
packets.” As he leaves, Restoran D’Chow Kit’s owner looks at me and a smile
inches out. The sachets make for an impressive sight in the restaurant and they’re
mostly for display. But there are regular customers who make a pit-stop here
before they head to the night market or nearby hotels for an escapade. It’s a
tidy side-business she’s running and as they say, location, location, location.
“You want to try?” she dares my manhood. I think for a second
and find myself doing the stare. The blood ushed to my head. Maybe.
Tongkat ali as a sex plant isn’t a news flash. A common herb
shrub that can be easily found in rain forests situated in Sabah, Pahang and
Malacca, its special place in men’s health was documented as early as the 1930s
in the seminal tome The Medical Book of Malayan Medicine. The first official
laboratory studies took place between 1980 and 1990, conducted by researcher at Universiti Sains Malaysia in
Penang and in Universiti Malaya, showing that tongkat ali could lift
testosterone levels and increase fertility in mice.
It took a landmark
study in 2001 by a researcher named Dr ismail Tambi to confirm the
concupiscence raising qualities of the plant. Thirty married, middle-aged men
took 200mg of a tongkat ali extract for three
consecutive weeks and after some time, Ismail noted that 73 percent
remarked they felt healthy, active and energised. Sixty-two percent felt an
increased sexual desire. All showed a rising free testosterone index. Even
their level of DHEA, a critical steroid hormone produced by our adrenal
glands-and is also banned as an external dietary supplement for sportsmen by
The World Anti- Doping Agency had increased from 26% percent after one week to
47% percent after three.
What does that means for the potential of a small believes
there’s more than meets the eye. And he’s leading a charge to put tongkat ali
on the map as Malaysia’s natural gift to
the world.
Ismail Tambi is a doctor blessed with youth. At 62, he look
just a notch over 40, with a fresh complexion and the enthusiasm of men many
times younger. At his clinic in Damai Service hospital on Jalan Ipoh,
where he’s the consulting clinical
andrologist and also the reproductive and sexual health specialist there, his
room is filled with the expected apparatus, including one to test penile
strength by pushing tiny cushions labelled “soft”, “medium” and “hard”.
“Except for this bald spot here. Tongkat ali can’t help with
bald spot here.” He says, chuckling. For all the aphrodisiac qualities of
Tongkat ali , it’s the other findings that has Ismail excited. Take the sport
industry, specifically the arena of bodybuilding. Annual sales of bodybuilding
supplement in America are reported to be around RM 8 billion, and as you can
imagine those numbers are boosted by steroids that have well-documented side
effects, and are deemed illegal by most governing bodies, Introduce a natural
muscle mass building product that seems safe and it’s like waving low-glucose
sugar in front ants.
Enter “longjack”, the term bodybuilder have given to tongkat
ali for use in their exercise regimens. In a study conducted in 2000 at
Universiti Malaya, 14 healthy adult males were split into two groups and given
a daily tongkat ali extract or a
placebo. Both groups performed an intensive strength-training programme and
when compared after eight weeks, the bunch taking the extract showed improved
body mass index when compared to the other test batch. In short, tongkat ali
made them stronger. So it’s no wonder longjack has become a popular import into
the US and Canada.
“It’s a bloody huge market,” confirm Ismail. “ One thing as well, we did research on it recently and tongkat ali has the potential to hasten fatigue recovery. You do sports, after the game you feel lethargic, tired. We found that if you take this, you won’t feel it, the aches, the pains.” He points to a 2007 study done at the Liaoning Sport Science and Technology Institute In China, where elderly male cyclists who took a tongkat ali extract found that it facilitates fatigue recovery besides enhancing free testosterone. Even more pertinently, Ismail points out that the extract has been found to be non-toxic even at high levels of 600mg to the body’s vital functions. In other words, you can’t overdose.
“It’s a bloody huge market,” confirm Ismail. “ One thing as well, we did research on it recently and tongkat ali has the potential to hasten fatigue recovery. You do sports, after the game you feel lethargic, tired. We found that if you take this, you won’t feel it, the aches, the pains.” He points to a 2007 study done at the Liaoning Sport Science and Technology Institute In China, where elderly male cyclists who took a tongkat ali extract found that it facilitates fatigue recovery besides enhancing free testosterone. Even more pertinently, Ismail points out that the extract has been found to be non-toxic even at high levels of 600mg to the body’s vital functions. In other words, you can’t overdose.
Prof Saiful Bahari ( Universiti Sains Malaysia - USM ), Tengku Shahril ( Biotropics Malaysia Berhad ), Prof Ralf Henkel ( Univercity of The Western Cape, South Africa ) & Dr Ismail Tambi (Malaysia's Only Clinical Andrologist )
It would seem that more colleagues in the men’s health
community are also seeing the potent benefits of the plant. “ I can confirm
what Professor Tambi told you about the benefits of tongkat ali.” says Ralf
Henkel, a South African researcher who is the deputy chairperson of the
Department of Medical Bioscience at the University of Western Cape. He met him
in studying the plant. While he’s generally less effusive and cautions against
overhyping the plant’s themselves. “ I see a huge market, as male infertility
is generally a globally, totally underestimated public health issue. Globally,
10 to 15 percent of couples suffer from infertility. If we also add the huge
numbers of elderly men who suffer from aging male symptoms, which include
hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction and fatigue, this will make it
worthwhile to market the product,” he
explains.
Did deeper and science is uncovering a wealth of merits to
this unassuming plant. A study by the Institute for Medical Research in 2005
confirmed that tongkat ali could help fight
malarial parasites and combat malaria fever. Another one in 2001 showed that
the tongkat ali extract could induce apoptosis
of cancer cells, much like in chemotherapy. The Vietnamese name for the
plant, cay ba binh, literally means “the remedy for 1,000 diseases”.
Put in together and what’s stopping tongkt ali from becoming a super-tonic for
the 21st century? Turns out, it starts with the tiny square packets
at the back of a restaurant in Chow
Kit.
Take a trip to the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia,
more commonly known as FRIM , and you immediately enter one of the best-kept
secret in the land. Located in Kepong on the borders of Kuala Lumpur and
Selangor, the area offers more than 1,520 hectares of untouched forests,
gardens, wetlands with trails and a thriving ecosystem that has invigorated
early morning joggers for years. It also houses the government agency that
researches and promotes the best use of Malaysia’s vast forest resources. There
are more than 20 different research area
that occupy different parts of this natural park, each tasked with getting the
most out of the country tropical greenery.
Forest Research Institute of Malaysia
Tongkat ali has always been of particular interest to FRIM.
Already, annual export of the plant are estimated at RM 100 million and the government
plans to make the brand synonymous with country, the way green tea is with
Japan. Since 1999, FRIM coordinated research and development on the plant through a biotech programme that includes
local companies and the illustrious Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
But what’s proving to be a huge hindrance has been the proliferation of fake tongkat ali
products on the market. Some estimate that over 80 percent of tongkat ali
products sold worldwide are counterfeit, many of them online through eBay or
other underground websites. The problem isn’t just over our shorelines. In one
FRIM study on 200 samples of tongkat ali coffee , only a handful contained the
plant extract.. Even then, the active content inside the drinks were found to be far too low to be of any
benefit. The reason is simple : The pure extract of the plant is bitter. “ Very
bitter, If it’s used in large quantities , than the drink will be undrinkable,”
says Dr Rasadah Mat Ali, FRIM’s natural product division director.
US patent 7,132,117 B2
Ali coffee mixer you see in shops, for the most part, contain
too small a dosage of tongkat ali to really be effective. When it comes to a
certified, bona fide tongkat ali
product, a water-soluble capsule called “Nu-Prep” produced by Biotropics
Malaysia Berhad, a government-linked corporation ( and FRIM ‘s own bottles ) Europe Specification Patent
EP 1,313,491 B1
remains one of the most legitimate way to get a true-blue tongkat ali experience. But a bottle of 60 Nu-Prep pills cost RM 160 from pharmacies and customers looking for one will find cheaper alternative from peddlers on the street, or in kopitiam dotted across the landscape.
Ismail acknowledge that a lot of the supposed tongkat ali
supplements outside are, by and large contaminated. “ People think that tongkat
ali is great for sex and if they can get something that mimics it. That can
produce the expected result without knowing how
or what’s inside, then they’ll still go for it.” Among the most popular
ways of creating a dubious substitute is to mix small dosage of tongkat ali
root powder and a PDE5 inhibitor drug, like Viagra. Some add ash, stearic acid and even some form of steroid to achieve
the same effects, with dangerous consequence, “ If someone is not healthy, has
heart problem, or other medicinal issues that put him in the gigh-risk bracker,
taking something that isn’t tongkat ali might cause a fatality,” says Ismail.
Customer Claims Tribunal
MALAYSIA
Attempts to uncover his background hit a brick wall-he refuse to divulge personal details- but he’s been passionately exposing cyber-fakes for years.”I have been writing about quackery long before I wrote about tongkat ali, and more aggressively. For example , the worldwide multivitamin hoax, or the Atkins nonsense, or PayPal banking, or e-gold scams. It’s very long list of topics and it goes back 40 years,’ he says.
Federation Of Malaysia Customers Associations
His website, sergekreutz.com, has over 100
articles on various internet scams, most of it related to enhancing a man’s
Eros. Many of them detail tongkat ali and how it has helped his own sex
life-he’s been taking it for around 15 years-and how to avoid the phonies that
flood the market. One issue, for example, is the use of stearic acid with some
bogus tongkat ali products. “ Most stearic acid used in supplement is made from
dead animal parts, many in a state of decay. The cheaper stearic acid
comes from China and is marketed
throughout the world. It’s very uncontrolled.” It would be of particular
importance to Muslim as this could possible be non-halal in nature. “ Those who
fake tongkat ali by adding illegal substances, who fake labels, who fake
ingredients claims, are unlikely to have qualms when it comes to printing halal
on the label. You may want to bring staeric acid to the attention of ulama
councils’” he adds.
_Critical_steriod_hormone_gradually_incresed_from_26%25_after_one_week_to_47%25_after_three_week_NUPREP100_US+patent_longjack.JPG)
_Critical_steriod_hormone_gradually_incresed_from_26%25_after_one_week_to_47%25_after_three_week_NUPREP100_US+patent_longjack.JPG)
But efforts are made to help curb the export of fake tongkat
ali within our borders. The National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau has managed
to register around 277 products with tongkat ali and there’s hope that the
accessibility of the plant extract will cause people with an urge to turn away from
fakes. Ismali himself is trying to combat the scourge with more research,
including a study into producing a tasteless tongkat ali extract that cpuld, if
it enters mass production, revolutionise the drink mix tongkat ali market. “ It
has so much potential, and not just as an aphrodisiac. It has anti-aging
elements: it’s supposed to interrupt the free radical cycle. It just works.”
Even FRIM is getting into the action, putting into motion studies on the
energy-boosting properties of tongkat ali and its potential in the sporting
ring. “ The studies are looking positive and interesting so far,” says Rasadah.
Once the community is in agreement on the potent possibilities, there’s no
telling where the path for Malaysia’s ubiquitous healing plant might go. Beyond
the confines of bedroom walls and seedy hotels chains. Beyond the back wall of
a coffee shop downtown KL.
He stares like she’s watching a kid at a toy shop. She
watches as I hold an internal debate. Maybe. Maybe not.
I sahke my head and walk out without looking back. He shop
owner bids me farewell, a cheeky smiles still present. You’ll be back, she’s
thinking. They always come back.
Shame, because the sun was burning and I had a throbbing
headache. My tongue hurt. I was going to get a parking ticket. So I’ll be
damned if I didn’t find a pharmacy and buy myself a packet of Panadol.
Aims and Scope
Keywords : - andrologia; andrology, organic, male, infertility, sexual, disorder, aging, research, therapy, anatomy, endocrinology, physiology, veterinary, medicine, clinic, dermatology, gynaecology, oncology, urology
.jpg)
.jpg)
First International Journal of Andrologi - ANDROLOGIA.
Article first published online: 15
JUN 2011 ( DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0272.2011.01168.x )
Andrologia, 43: no.
doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0272.2011.01168.x
Publication History
1. Article first published online: 15 JUN 2011
2. Accepted: December 7, 2010
Impact Factor: 1.152. ISI Journal Citation Reports © Ranking:
2009: 4/6 (Andrology)
Online ISSN: 1439-0272
Overview
Aims and Scope
Andrologia provides an international forum for
original papers on the current clinical, morphological, biochemical, and
experimental status of organic male infertility and sexual disorders in men.
The articles inform on the whole process of advances in andrology (including
the aging male), from fundamental research to therapeutic
developments worldwide. First published in 1969 and the first international
journal of andrology, it is a well established journal in this expanding area
of reproductive medicine.
And in addition, Andrologia provides articles on anatomy,
endocrinology, physiology, and veterinary medicine.
Andrologia is essential reading for scientists
in fundamental andrological research, laboratory diagnosticians, veterinarians
and clinicians in many fields (most importantly - dermatologists,
endocrinologists, gynecologists, oncologists, and urologists.)
Keywords : - andrologia; andrology, organic, male, infertility, sexual, disorder, aging, research, therapy, anatomy, endocrinology, physiology, veterinary, medicine, clinic, dermatology, gynaecology, oncology, urology
.jpg)
.jpg)
MALAYSIA’S
ONLY
CLINICAL
ANDROLOGIST
· New
THE STAR. Saturday October 23, 2010
The man doctor
By REVATHI MURUGAPPAN
Malaysia’s only clinical andrologist,
Dr Mohd Ismail Mohd Tambi, is a doctor, friend and confidant to the thousands
of patients with manhood woes.
Touch it and tell me what you think,” Dr Mohd
Ismail Mohd Tambi asks me, placing a chart with four blue “bubbles” in front of
me.
He grins impishly while I squirm in my seat.
“Go ahead. You’re not shy, are you? Don’t be shy.
It won’t bite!” he encourages, sensing my embarrassment.
I blame my bashfulness on my conservative Asian
upbringing.
Samuel the photographer, stifling a giggle, looks
away.
Dr Mohd Ismail is holding up the Erection Grading
Chart, which comes in four grades of “hardness”. I take a deep breath, swallow
and hastily run my fingers over the four little bubbles.
Dr Mohd Ismail Mohd
Tambi tests the ED drugs himself before prescribing them to his patients.
-SAMUEL ONG/The Star
“What do you think?” he asks.
Unsure how to respond, I tell him that I think
nothing except that grade four is the hardest. He lets out a laugh.
“All the men who come in here will say they are a
grade four but their partners will say they are a grade one or two,” he says.
“That’s men! You can call it ego, but for men, having the capacity to make love
is a manly thing. If they suffer, everyone around them suffers because they’re
shy about getting help.”
As Malaysia’s only clinical andrologist (someone
who specialises in male reproductive problems), Dr Mohd Ismail, 60, is a
doctor, friend and confidant to the thousands of patients with erectile
dysfunction (ED) problems. But no, not all his patients are men — about 30% are
female who come to ask for help for their husbands.
The main grouse among men is that they cannot
maintain their erection, and that is an early sign of ED, he notes. In the
past, most of his patients were above 45 but of late, the age is getting
younger.
“I get guys in their 80s who really take care of
their health but have ED problems. But I also get the younger men who are in
their 20s and might be a little obese or have lifestyle issues.
Nowadays, with peer pressure, the youngsters are
clubbing, smoking, drinking and taking drugs, which affects their sexual
health,” explains Dr Mohd Ismail.
“This is something disturbing but the mentality is
changing in line with development. I’m even getting those who are not married
coming to me. ED cuts across all ages, marital status and culture.”
The main causes of ED are multifaceted and include
age and hormonal problems while secondary causes include a lack of strength and
stamina. Despite help and information being available, men, especially the
older ones, don’t want to see a doctor. Some may turn up at Dr Mohd Ismail’s
clinic and chicken out at the last minute.
They would rather ask their friends to go, and the
issue then becomes part of a conversation at the coffeeshop. Or they resign
themselves to the fact that they’re no longer manly, and this puts a strain on
the relationship with their spouse.
“However, there is also another group that will die
without lovemaking and will go all out to discover ways to improve their
manhood. If they’re old, I ask them to bring their wives along because
sexuality is still very important to them. Most people can be helped.”
When Viagra was introduced to Malaysians on April
1, 1999, it was no April Fool’s joke. Although it was initially intended for
those with heart ailments, researchers discovered it caused an erection and,
subsequently, it became an oral tablet for those with ED. Men were delighted.
“In fact, Viagra’s discovery was a blessing. It’s
more of a miracle than the discovery of the Pill,” reckons Dr Mohd Ismail.
In 2000, a new drug called Cialis entered the
market and later, Levitra was introduced. Two months ago, a more enhanced drug
called Zydena hit the local market as the latest treatment for sexual
impotency.
“With Cialis, you don’t have to plan lovemaking
whereas with Viagra, once you take it, you must have a go. With Levitra, there
are side effects but with Zydena, you can take it with other medication. The
side effects are minimal and usually, the man will experience flushes or a
feeling of being flustered. I know because I try all the drugs before I
recommend them to my patients. I may look young but I’m not!” reveals the
chatty doctor, who looks no more than 45.
The drugs are getting better over the years, thanks
to new research. These drugs are not meant to enhance the user’s sexual desire,
but address the physical incapability to have sex. Hence, Dr Mohd Ismail is
careful about prescribing it — usually only after he has examined the patient
thoroughly. People with heart problems invariably have ED because blood does
not flow freely to all parts of the body.
He says, “The ED drugs are here to stay, and it’s a
choice men have. Most of the time, our Malaysian men prefer to go to the bomoh for
a remedy because they believe someone has put a charm or curse on them. But we
know it’s a medical problem, not black magic.”
Dr Mohd Ismail keeps his phone line open all the
time and, yes, there are men who call him in the middle of the night to tell
him if the drug worked. These are either ecstatic or frustrated.
“I become their sex therapist over the phone!” he
jokes.
Dr Mohd Ismail got interested in andrology when he
was serving the government in the 80s. At the time, there was a need to advise
men on fertility issues but the only specialists available were obstetricians
and gynaecologists who catered more to women.
“Fertility is very much a couple issue but back
then, men didn’t know where to go for help because there was none available.”
So, when his then boss suggested he study
andrology, Dr Mohd Ismail pursued a World Health Organisation research
fellowship in clinical andrology and semenology and headed to Australia.
“It was such an interesting course because I learnt
a lot about myself. I spent three months looking at sperm cells until every
time I close my eyes, all I could see were sperms running everywhere,” he says,
poker-faced.
Samuel and I burst out laughing.
Now he has all kinds of posters and contraptions in
his office.
“I even have an artificial vulva. You want to see
it?” he suddenly asks, catching me off guard. I shake my head and reply no.
“Why not? It’s good for you to know,” he says and
proceeds to dig into a drawer to bring out the object.
“Believe it or not, I have to give couples total
lessons. Some of them have never consummated their marriage because the wife is
scared to make love and, over time, the man cannot get his little brother up. And
these are university graduates who are ignorant about sexuality.
“That’s when I have to show them parts of the
artificial anatomy, make them touch it, feel it, etc. Sex has an emotional
element. If the emotion is shaken, then you can’t do it. You must have fun out
of it, not fear it.”
Dr Mohd Ismail laments that most young people have
fallen prey to the “dual-pay, no-sex syndrome”, as in Singapore. They are so
busy servicing loans, and when they do have a little time, they’d rather be
playing video games or sleep than make love. Hence, the birth rates are
affected.
“It’s getting worse,” he says, cringing at the
thought. “Anyone who comes here for fertility problems, I ask them point-blank
how many times a week they have sex. If you don’t have sex, how can you get
pregnant?”
At the same time there are also teens getting
pregnant and dumping their babies. Dr Mohd Ismail questions the establishment
of the school for pregnant teens.
“What kind of syllabus are they teaching? What
happens to the mother after delivery? I think more research should have been
done,” he says.
The good doctor believes sex education begins at
home, and parents should talk about relationships and the different kinds of
love there are. The rest can be obtained from formal education or the net.
“Growing up, I was ignorant too. I didn’t know
women didn’t have anything dangling between their legs until I was about eight
or 10. I only knew when I peeped at my aunt when she was in the toilet, and I
became curious. Most of the time, I got information from my friends.”
“Of course, ever since then, I have been peeping at
everyone and everything. It’s part of my job!” he jokes.
And it’s a job he loves incredibly.
“So far, there’s no one I haven’t been able to
help,” Dr Mohd Ismail says proudly.
Source:
NEW STRAITS TIMES
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 2011.Life & times health
NEW STRAITS TIMES
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 2011.Life & times health
Beware of wonder cures
Herbal supplements are not always
beneficial to health.
KASMIAH MUSTAPHA looks into the safety aspects to
their use
Cashing in on these beliefs, some companies manufacture product which supposedly contain these herbs – such as Tongkat Ali coffee, juice and water.
In most cases, however, the products do
not contain the herbal ingredient but drugs or other types of stimulants
instead. While the consumer may not experience drastic reactions to the
products immediately, in the long run, they can cause serious health problems.
The Health Ministry recently raided a
company that was producing coffee mixed with the controlled drug tadalafil. The manufacturer
claims the coffee contains herbal and organic extracts which boots men’s sexual
functions. Tadalafil is an
oral drug used to treat importance. However. There are serious side effects if
patients take it for long periods of time, without
a doctor’s prescription. They may suffer from sudden loss of vision, chest pain
spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, irregular heartbeat, swelling in
hands, ankles, or feet, shortness of breath and seizures (convulsions).
UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA (USM) SCHOOL OF
MEDICAL SCEINCES DEPUTY DEAN ASSOC PROF DR SHAIFUL BAHARI ISMAIL says consumers have to make sure that the
herbal supplements they are taking are GENUINE, backed by scientific
evidence.”The study should show the products are safe and efficacious. They
also must not contain any other unknown ingredient. It is best to talk to your
doctor before taking any herbal supplement,” he advises.
Dr Shaiful, who is also a family
physician, also advise patients to check the scientific background of the
products and ensure the active ingredient is not combined with other
potentially harmful ingredients.
“We have heard stories of herbal products
combined with dangerous ingredients, such as sex stimulants. This can cause
side effects and at times, death. So if a patient wants to take coffee that is
said to contain Tongkat Ali or other herbs, I will ask the patient if there is
a study done on the product. If there is none, I will tell him not to take it.
+Nu-Prep+100+water+soluble+extract+FREEZE+DRIED.jpg)
Dr Shaiful and a team from UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA ( USM ) conducted a study on the use of
Tongkat Ali as a herbal supplement for the improvement of men’s sexual
well-being. The study was sponsored by Biotropics
Malaysis Berhad, manufacturer of Nu-Prep,
a herbal supplement with a Tongkat Ali water soluble extract.
The 109 men in the study were given the
product and a placebo. The study found that there was improvement in sexual
well-being, energy and physical functioning after being on the product for 12
weeks.
“I cannot claim that there has been no
scientific study on Tongkat Ali before but the study that I conducted using
water extract Tongkat Ali is among the first in the country that looks at men’s
quality of life and sexual well-being.
‘Based on the 12-week period, we can say
that it is safe to use the product for a short term, but we cannot be certain
of the same effect if people use it for longer than that.”
Tongkat Ali or Eurycoma Longifolia is a
plant famous for its male aphrodisiac properties. However, it is also used for
treatment of aches, persistent fever, malaria, dysentery, glandular swelling,
bleeding ( as a coagulant), edema, hypertension, syphilitic sores, and ulcers.
Biotropics director of business
development, sales and maeketing Siti Nooruhani Ibrahim says the stady was
commissioned mainly to confirm and ensure the product is safe.
‘We need scientific proof that Nu-Prep
is safe and effective. We cannot just tell consumers without having the proof
to support our claims. We know for centuries that people have been using
Tongkat Ali because of its health properties. So we wanted to put the science
in the traditional practice.
“Our products are manufactured using the
latest technology to ensure they are safe and follow standards. We will
continue to do scientific studies on our products to back our claims of their
effects. This will keep us ahead of our competitors,”
She says Nu-Prep, which has been in the
market for five years, is also distributed to United States and Hong Kong. Nu Prep Tongkat Ali freeze dried
extract is powdered and encapsulated to ensure the biologically active
components’ therapeutic values are maintained. The company also produces other
herbal products including Nu-Famme Kacip Fatimah. .jpg)
SOLUTE ‘U’
EURO 2012 UEFA
Rooney,Rooney,Rooney,ROONEY SOLUTE 'U'
M.Nazmi Faiz Mansor SOLUTE 'U'
Mohd Safiq Rahim SOLUTE 'U'
MALAYSIA BOLEH
PERDANA MENTERI MALAYSIA DATUK SRI NAJIB& Jose Mourinho ( Real Madrid )
SOLUTE'U'
MALAYSIA BOLEH
PELE & DATUK KARATHU @ RAJENDRAN MARUTHAIAN
SOLUTE'U'
