Manfaat batu landak

EXPERT ADVICE

Types of porcupine bezoar

There are three types of porcupine bezoars,

namely:

• Blooded – has reddish colour and not so

common nowadays, thus much sought-after;

• Powdery – has a smooth surface and much

harder than other types. It is considered the best

quality, hence is the most expensive type; and

• Grassy – has a coarser surface and is of greenish-

brown colour. It is also among the cheapest.

Due to its rarity, 0.38g of the porcupine bezoar

reportedly might command a price from RM700

onwards, and one stone with the average size of

a marble could fetch RM25,000 to RM72,000 (for a

superior grade of ‘powdery’ type)!

Treatments

Use of porcupine bezoar in traditional Chinese

medicine (TCM), or other complementary/

alternative medicine (CAM), is quite similar to

that of ox bezoar (gallstone) – which is called

niu-huang (牛黃) or calculus bovis. They are claimed

to remove toxins from the body.

The recommended dosage is 0.1-0.2g (in children)

and 0.3-0.4g (in adult) – to be taken one to

three times a day, depending on individual’s

health conditions. The powder can be put into

the mouth directly or dissolved in a tablespoon

with water, and should be taken with an

empty stomach.

It is used in alternative medicine for its

anti-inl ammatory, anti-oxidant and immunebooster properties, as well as for body

detoxii cation. Sometimes, it is also recommended

for treatment of cancer, dengue fever, meningitis,

herpes, throat infection, pneumonia, and as

pre- and post-operation “anti-infective”.

However, none of the above treatments have

ever been proven in western medicine or

through clinical researches. It is also ethically

unsound to substitute properly prescribed

antibiotics with porcupine bezoar for anti-infection

regimen, or to mix allopathic medicine with

TCM or CAM without prior consultation with

your doctor