The Plant Torbangun Increases Milk Production Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Torbangun, a local plant, is a shrub plant that grows easily any area including overseas. But until now only Batak people use it to increase the breast milk of women after giving birth. Batak people have for thousands of rears held the belief in the efficacy of Torbangun plant. Professor of the Faculty of Human Ecology, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB FEMA) Prof. Dr. Rizal Damanik said so in the "Coffee Morning" on Dramaga Campus of IPB, Friday (5/12).
Prof. Rizal said, Torbangun plant has never been proven scientifically. Only in 2000, he studied and found its efficacy – it has the benefit of improving the quality and quantity of breast milk. This research has successfully made him a professor as an expert in the field of this plant. The results of his study "Local Wisdom of Utilizing Torbangun for Community Nutrition Development in Indonesia" were presented in a scientific speech in the Auditorium of Andi Hakim Nasution, Dramaga Campus, Saturday (6/12).
According to Prof. Rizal, the quality of human resources is influenced by many factors, one of which is nutrition and health. According to him, nutrition and health play an important role in determining the quality of human resources, in terms of physical aspects, mental and intelligence.
Physical, mental and intelligence development begins early in life. This period refers to the first 1,000 days of life, divided into 270 days of pregnancy and the first 730 days in the life of the baby after birth.
Various attempts have been made by the government both globally and nationally in improving the first 1000 days of life. All are directed specifically to pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants and children under the age of two years, who are the major roles in the period. One of the effort is the movement of Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN).
SUN Movement in Indonesia embodied in a movement called the National Movement of Improved Nutrition Acceleration. One of the government’s intervention in this movement is the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding. Since 2001, exclusive breastfeeding for six months is made compulsory by the World Health Organization (WHO).
"The benefit of Torbangun for both breastfeeding and treatment of disease is a local wisdom that needs to be preserved. With related research on Torbangun plant, it is expected to address issues related to the insufficient production of milk and increase the number of mothers who breastfeed exclusively," said Prof. Rizal. (Mtd)
