Jiak Por! (吃补)

Traditional health supplements are becoming a boom market given that it is becoming quite a fad in the west.

Locally, you can see all the Chinese medicinal hall mushrooming in general hospitals and you can even find one in our local mental institution!

Jiak por is on everyone's mind and despite the lack of evidence in these quasi medicinal products, they remain extremenly popular. So much so that I've heard of medical professionals spending tens of thousands of dollars buying TCMs on trips to China!! Whether they kennah cheated only they know lah!

What is really disconcerting is that as a doctor, we often get asked about traditional medicines as part of our consults with patients, though honestly I know as much about TCM or Tongkat Ali as my mother who has a Pri 6 education. But you see, patients expect their Drs to know everything...

If a Patient ask: Lokun, can tell me this ginseng good or not ar??? Jiak liao can por naw, make me smarter??

The Junior Dr will reply: I don't know. Do I look like a Chinese Sinseh???

The Senior Dr will reply: There is no good evidence when it comes to traditional medicines but if you have tried it and find it useful, its ok to continue taking.

The Private Dr will reply: Aiyah this brand no good la! You buy from me this special ginseng essence from Chang Bai Shang! See got my face on the box somemore!

All the Drs are thinking: You want smarter, get a brain transplant...

Lately, I had a patient's family member asked me whether eating placenta is good for the patient's condition. He further instructed me to read up about it when I told him that I have no clue about placentas since I last did an Obgyn posting many years ago. So being ever the conscientious doctor that I am, I googled the subject "eat placenta" and found a wiki on Placentophagy. The pictures made me lose my appetite immediately... much less Jiak Por.....

Tags: Fun, Alternative Medicine, Homeopathy