New Biotropics Ramuan Health Products Coming in November '09

Natural Products Expo East in Boston marked the launch of the newest Ramuan Health products. Look for them in November '09.

Video of performers from the Book Launch in Kuala Lumpur

Health & Beauty from the Rainforest: Book Event at Akasha in L.A.

Joerg Gruenwald, Zurinawati Zainal Abidin and Gerard Bodeker—all editors of the new book Health & Beauty from the Rainforest: Malaysian Traditions of Ramuan—gathered at Akasha to promote the book and educate comsumers about the Malaysian lifestyle.

Launch of Malaysian Wellness and Beauty Book, Product Line and Ramuan Lifestyle Reaches Over 122,000,000 Americans

-- United States Welcomed Biotropics Malaysia with Press and Book Signings across the Country --

New York, NY - July 31, 2009 - This July marked the United States launch of a ramuan product line by Malaysian-based Biotropics that features spa and ingestible wellness products and an accompanying book, Health and Beauty from the Rainforest: Malaysian Traditions of Ramuan. As part of an overarching media outreach and consumer education campaign, the U.S. launch kicked off with a week-long tour featuring the book’s editor-in-chief and co-authors: Professor Gerard Bodeker, senior faculty member in public health at Oxford University and adjunct professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University; co-author Dr. Joerg Gruenwald, leading medical scientist and clinical researcher; and Zurinawati Zainal Abidin, co-editor and contributor to the book on Malaysian traditions; and Professor Hood Salleh, an Oxford-trained cultural anthropologist and authority on the traditions of Malaysia’s indigenous peoples, the orang asli. Within a few short weeks, ramuan has caught the attention of a wide range of media and consumers, building strong momentum for a nationwide curiosity of Malaysian traditions and interest in the ramuan lifestyle.

With the authors traveling in from abroad, the U.S. launch tour commenced with a private spa-inspired media event at the trendy Library Hotel in New York City, giving prominent editors, journalists, producers and freelance writers the chance to taste, feel and experience ramuan, and learn about Malaysian health and beauty first-hand from the book’s co-authors. As part of the nation-wide campaign, the Biotropics team traveled to key U.S. markets, including Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, setting a solid foundation for the book and products with well-attended book signings and a second media event in Los Angeles at the popular AKASHA Restaurant. Throughout the week the authors engaged in radio, print and television interviews at leading outlets including WNBC-TV, PBS, The New York Times Magazine, Shape magazine, Teen Vogue, Natural Health magazine, NPR, Martha Stewart Living Radio, HealthRadioNetwork.com, and more. Overall, the program reached an audience of over 122,000,000 through a combination of press releases, print, television and radio programming.

“Until now, Americans have had little understanding of Malaysian culture beyond the country’s natural beauty and I am grateful for having had the opportunity to introduce the concept of ramuan to them,” says Editor-in-Chief of the book, Professor Gerard Bodeker. “The success of this launch demonstrates that Americans are eager for a lifestyle change and I look forward to the continued spread of Malaysian beauty and wellness traditions in the United States.”

“By researching and documenting this ancient lifestyle tradition, we were able to develop a unique line of products that will facilitate incorporating ramuan principles into the American lifestyle,” said Dr. Joerg Gruenwald, Chief Scientific Officer of Biotropics and co-editor of the book. Drawing on years of research, the new book landed on U.S. shelves this month revealing the best of Malaysia’s rich knowledge in promoting health, enhancing beauty and creating vigor throughout a person’s life. Members of the Biotropics team will return to the United States this fall to attend Expo East Natural Product Trade Show in Boston to further cultivate the concept of ramuan and exhibit the spa and supplement products.

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About Biotropics Malaysia Berhad
Biotropics US Inc. (Ramuan.com) is the exclusive distributor of Biotropics Malaysia Berhad products. Biotropics Malaysia was founded with the mission of popularizing Malaysian herbal traditions and respecting time-honored ingredients. International sourcing of manufacturing and packaging facilities in Malaysia, Germany and the US enables Biotropics to utilize specialized resources to assure consistency and quality.

Biotropics is dedicated to the responsible manufacture and distribution of Malaysia’s treasured herbal health & beauty aids. Biotropics staff is united by a common desire to see Malaysia’s rich herbal traditions made available to the world, using natural ingredients responsibly harvested.

Video: Interview with Dr Joerg Gruenwald

Watch a WNBC Interview with Dr Joerg Gruenwald, Chief Scientific Officer of Biotropics Malaysia. Dr Gruenwald speaks about health & wellness and food as medicine.

Biotropics is featured as Product of the Month at GNC.com

The Biotropics ingestibles are featured at GNC.com

Health and Beauty from the Rainforest available at Barnes & Noble

Health and Beauty from the Rainforest: Malaysian Traditions of Ramuan brings to readers a collection of Malaysian health and beauty traditions that derive from the country's bio-resources. Malaysia's rainforests are among the oldest in the world, and within them Malaysia's peoples have discovered therapeutic secrets that have been incorporated into local culture for centuries.
Written by a team of academics and specialists in the field, this book highlights how history and nature have shaped the culture and traditions in Malaysia, with a focus on health and beauty. Readers will gain insight into the unique ways in which the people of Malaysia maintain their youthfulness and vitality, and promote health and well-being.
Available for purchase at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Interview with Gerard Bodeker, Editor-in-chief of Health and Beauty from the Rainforest

Dr. Bodeker speaks about Malay herbal traditions and the assembly of Health and Beauty from the Rainforest book. The book brings together the collective knowledge of everyday health care of many diverse eastern cultures, from infancy to old age, including Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic tradtions and then interlaces them with Malay traditions of the rainforest; ending in science. Bodeker describes how Malay family practices of health and wellness routines for a balanced and radiant life are infused into the contemporary resort based environment for well being, relaxation and rejuvenation.

No Longer Just Herb Collectors

A GROUP from the Jakun community of Kg Gumum, Tasik Chini in Pahang has improved its economic position through value-chain upgrading activities at a herbal processing facility. This was made possible by Tongkat Ali herbal pill manufacturers Biotropics Malaysia Berhad (Biotropics) in Shah Alam, which helped set up the herbal processing facility to enable the group to make the leap from merely collecting wild herbs in the jungle to engaging in more value-adding activities. The value-adding activities include drying, grinding, packaging and transporting the herbs. The facility is fully operated by a family in the community. In the case of Tongkat Ali roots, an orang asli would typically spend the whole day in the forest searching for the root, which he can sell at an average price of RM2 to RM3 a kilogram. However, if the roots are subjected to simple pre-processing activities such as sun drying, grinding and milling, their market value multiplies more than fourfold.

“We believe that with a little support, the orang asli themselves can undertake these simple higher-level activities that will move the product up the value chain and earn them a more decent income,” Biotropics strategy and supply chain management director Tengku Shahrir Tengku Adnan said. For Biotropics, this recent initiative with the Jakun community is not a one-off financial charitable contribution and more than a CSR project; it is an ongoing commitment. Tengku Shahrir said that, through this arrangement, the company was strengthening its commitment to developing the orang asli community by providing them an opportunity to generate extra income and developing their competency within the community. Biotropics chief scientific officer Dr Joerg Gruenwald revealed that with some financial support, loan of machinery and training on material processing, keeping simple accounts, cost control and project management, the model family had constructed and started operating a simple processing facility within six weeks. “The product will be marketed in the United States, where we have a large following for Tongkat Ali herbal pills,” Gruenwald added. The family, headed by Abu Seman, had produced its first batch of 50kg of sieved and ground Tongkat Ali root in March. And, on May 15, the group achieved a new milestone with the delivery of its first commercial one-tonne supply to the Biotropics extraction facility in Shah Alam. “Through this opportunity, we have demonstrated that we, too, have a vision and are capable of meeting set targets,” Abu Seman said. During a simple ceremony to mark the achievement, Abu Seman received a mock cheque for RM15,000 for the commercial one tonne supply to Biotropics. According to Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Hood Salleh of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), who has worked with the various orang asli communities, Abu Seman’s family was recommended to Biotropics as they had the business acumen and the right attitude for the programme. Hood said the choice of the family should not create any adverse social impact in the community as they were seen to be working closely with the others. He said Abu Seman had worked in projects with various non-government organisations (NGOs) and was therefore seen as the ideal person with whom Biotropics should start the venture. “Ideally, similar ventures could be extended to other orang asli communities if this pilot project proves to be successful,’’ Hood said. The venture has indeed proven Abu Seman’s ability to handle issues such as working with other collectors, hiring workers, keeping an eye on costs, and scheduling the activities of processing. And, it was achieved with little formal business training. The family has demonstrated how their own forest knowledge and a modern commercial business activity can be brought together to improve their lives.

Photo: You’ve earned it!: Abu Seman (second from right) and a family member (right) receiving a mock cheque for the first delivery of ground and sieved Tongkat Ali root from Gruenwald as Tengku Shahrir (left) holds a bag of the herb.

By Charles Fernandez
The Star Online

Biotropics Ads—in a publication near you!

Biotropics Ramuan Health & Spa Products at Expo West

Inspired By A Health Regimen Malaysians Have Practiced For Hundreds Of Years
Biotropics announced the debut of its revolutionary line of Ramuan Health and Ramuan Spa products, available nationwide through GNC Stores beginning in June 2009. Based on the Malaysian concept of Ramuan, Biotropics has created topical products and herbal supplements designed to help women and men feel youthful, sexually vital, and maintain optimal beauty and wellness. “Biotropics Ramuan Health and Spa products were inspired by a health regimen Malaysians have practiced for thousands of years,” said Dr. Joerg Gruenwald, Biotropics Chief Scientific Officer. “We’re introducing our men’s and women’s lines of Ramuan Health herbal supplements formulated with botanicals used in Malay wellness practices and coated with Ulam – a natural leafy herb consumed daily by Malaysians – to compliment a person’s natural balance and enhance youthful vigor. Our Ramuan Spa beauty aids were designed to smooth and invigorate the skin.” Ramuan is a Malay concept for a harmony of ingredients; Ramuan tradition holds that outer beauty is a manifestation of inner health & balance. Ramuan came from the cultural cross-pollination of Indian ayurvedics, Chinese herbalists and Malay healing customs and inspired Biotropics development of holistic health and beauty products created from carefully selected blends of natural health promoting plants and herbs. Biotropics researchers combined the best available ingredients, many indigenous to the Malaysian rainforest, and designed first-of-their-kind products to meet the health and wellness needs of modern women and men. Biotropics Asmara for Women enhances sexual vitality & reproductive health; Ramuan Health – Women’s Blends (one for Day and Night) helps maintain hormonal balance, healthy aging and vitality; Tenaga for Men is for sexual fitness and vitality; and Ramuan Health – Men’s Blend also includes Tongkat Ali to help recapture a man’s youthful vigor, sexual wellness and promote healthy aging. Biotropics Spa Topical products include Green Coffee Body Oil to moisturize, invigorate & pamper the skin; Relaxing Face Mask with Tongkat Ali nourishes and conditions; Malaysian Coffee Scrub leaves skin feeling silky smooth; and Coconut Body Polish stimulates circulation for a lasting glow. “Biotropics Ramuan products come from Malaysia’s rich tradition of health and vitality,” said Christof Jaenicke, Biotropics CEO. “We’re happy to bring them to American consumers for the first time.”

About Biotropics
Biotropics (Ramuan.com) was founded with the mission of popularizing Malaysian herbal traditions and respecting time-honored ingredients. International sourcing of manufacturing and packaging facilities in Malaysia, Germany and the US enables Biotropics to utilize specialized resources to assure consistency and quality. Biotropics is dedicated to the responsible manufacture and distribution of Malaysia’s treasured herbal health & beauty aids. Biotropics staff is united by a common desire to see Malaysia’s rich herbal traditions made available to the world, using natural ingredients responsibly harvested from indigenous sources, including ancient rainforests and tropical plantations.

To learn more, visit our website Ramuan.com

Health and Beauty from the Rainforest: Malaysian Traditions of Ramuan

Health and Beauty from the Rainforest: Malaysian Traditions of Ramuan, the highly anticipated book by Professor Gerard Bodeker debuted at a well-attended seminar and book signing event held at Natural Products ExpoWest. Professor Bodeker, a faculty member in Public Health at Oxford University and Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University, has written the first comprehensive study of Ramuan, examining the mingling of Chinese, Indian and Malay natural health and beauty practices. “Early response to Health and Beauty from the Rainforest has been very encouraging,” said Professor Bodeker. “I expect that there will be more than academic interest in the book; it was written for people who would love to know how health, wellness, and beauty is practiced by a culture of rich traditions that many Western health professionals consider to be at the center of new discoveries in this area.” Comprehensive, with a wealth of information about how Malaysia’s most notable herbal practices have developed over thousands of years, Health and Beauty from the Rainforest was developed by a team of Malaysian and international scholars, scientists, physicians, and traditional practitioner led by Professor Bodeker. The beautifully illustrated book provides never-before-revealed insights into unique Malaysian herbal traditions that promote healthy living, including hormonal balance, sexual fitness, beauty, and healthy aging; a particular emphasis is placed on women’s health concerns. “Professor Bodeker’s book is the first full compendium of information on the Malaysian tradition and practice of Ramuan,” said Dr. Joerg Gruenwald, a leading European expert in the field of botanicals and natural products. “Health and beauty professionals will be talking about this book for a long time to come.”

About Health and Beauty from the Rainforest
The first book of its kind, Health and Beauty from the Rainforest: Malaysian Traditions of Ramuan, is a must-have guide on Malaysia’s age-old wisdom in promoting health and enhancing beauty & vigor. Written by a team of Malaysian and international scholars, scientists, physicians and traditional practitioners, it contains a wealth of encyclopedic information about herbal practices from Malaysia’s confluence of Asian cultures, which have developed over thousands of years. Hundreds of lavish color photos highlight the chapters, illustrating a wide range of topics. 256 pages, hardcover. The book is available at, Barnes & Noble bookstores nationwide, online at Amazon.com, and via the book’s web site RamuanMalaysian.com, $29.50 plus shipping and tax.

About Professor Gerard Bodeker
Professor Gerard Bodeker, author and editor-in-chief of Health and Beauty from the Rainforest: Malaysian Traditions of Ramuan, is a senior faculty member in Public Health at Oxford University and Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University, New York. Bodeker's doctoral studies were at Harvard University. He researches and advises on international public policy on traditional, complementary & alternative medicine. He has been Chair of the Commonwealth Working Group on Traditional & Complementary Medicine and done work on medicinal plant conservation for the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility and the UN Food & Agriculture Organization, for which he produced with colleagues a book on Medicinal Plants for Forest Conservation and Healthcare. Bodeker has written extensively on traditional medicine and is the author of six books in this field. He is editor-in-chief of the World Health Organization Global Atlas of Traditional, Complementary & Alternative Medicine (2005). He published the first on policy and public health aspects of the complementary medicine field in 2007 and, in 2008, co-edited the first book on understanding the global spa industry. He has published numerous scientific articles, including in The Lancet and The British Medical Journal and is founding editor of the Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine and an editor of the Oxford University Press journal e-CAM. Professor Bodeker chaired the International Advisory Panel to the Government of Malaysia for the development of the herbal sector, has advised the Malaysian Ministry of Health on research into herbal and complementary medicine, and is international editor of the Malaysian-based publication, the Journal of Tropical Medicinal Plants.

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