Gambir Sarawak Facts and Myths

Gambir or Uncaria Gambir is a perennial herb plant used by indegeneous in Malay archipelago (mainly in Asian and Oceanic countries as a combo snack chewed together with betle leaves and areca nut during free time). Due to intense sales and marketing campaign, users are sometimes mislead with false and unresponsible gimic, resulting on wrong perception on this humble product. Listed are the facts and myth which can be used to better understand the nature of Gambir. View Gambir product details.

Facts
1.    Gambir is herbal based product
Gambir is a shrub plant which can be found in tropical Asian and oceania countries. It is categorized as herb.

2.    Gambir is an organic product
Gambir naturally grown wild in any type of soil regardless of soil’s fertility. The use of additional fertilizer is economically unjustified and therefore not necessary.

Myths
1.    Gambir is an aphrodisiac agent
Gambir doesn’t have or contain any properties as aphrodisiac agent. The use of Gambir does not involved oral intake and therefore doesn’t influence or produce aphrodisiac effect or sexual desire.

2.    Gambir usage can result in permanent damage to male genital
Gambir was used as tanning and dyeing agent in large quantity. In small quantity, it is beneficial in numbing the sensitive or nerves area. This condition in short term will prolong ejaculation or erection for  up to 1-2 hours. There is no medical report that can support the damage inflicted by the use of Gambir. Users however are advised to used the product in the recommended dose to prevent ‘overheat’ effect which is known to occur most of the time to beginner or unpatience users.

3.    Gambir is made from Gambir tree
Gambir is not made from Gambir tree but from it leaves or twig. Gambir leaves/twigs are plucked, boilled and then pressed mechanically to extract the liquid. The extracted liquid is then dried  and molded in cube. Gambir cake is made by slicing the cube and can last for years if not exposed to water or liquid.

5.    Gambir Sarawak is not an original gambir
Sarawak is one of Malaysia Federation state which is located in Borneo. Gambir Sarawak is term used in Malaysia to distinctive a product that is made specifically or originally in Sarawak. Sarawak merchandizers are known to aggresively promote the brand ‘Gambir Sarawak’ as a adult-oriented items and thanks to them, Gambir is now known , sold and available worldwide.

5.    Gambir is use only as adult items
Gambir has been used in Indonesia as content in Jamu (health product), commercial use as tanning and dyeing and even in chinese herbal and certain modern medicines. What we yet to see in the combination of pepper spray and Gambir product which can completely immobilized the target effective.

This work by Llewelyn L. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.