Yanung Jamoh Lego

Yanung Jamoh Lego (born 9 July 1963) is an Indian folk herbalist from Arunachal Pradesh who practises a form of plant-based medicine drawn from the traditions of the Adi community. Her work falls within the broader tradition of Indian folk medicine, which is regarded as pseudoscience. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2024.

Lego has told regional Indian media that her herbal preparations can treat serious illnesses including cancer, diabetes, hypertension, epilepsy and leprosy. None of these claims has been tested in a clinical trial or evaluated in a peer-reviewed study, and no herbal preparation has been shown to treat or cure any of these diseases. The traditional Indian medical systems promoted under the Ministry of Ayush are widely described in the scientific literature as pseudoscientific.

Early life and career Lego was born in the village of Sika Todke in East Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh, to an Adi family that practised folk plant medicine. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees in agriculture from Assam Agricultural University in Jorhat, Alongside her government work she opened a private herbal practice in Pasighat in 1995, and in 2009 founded a local outreach project called Indigenous Herbal Heritage. Indigenous Herbal Heritage, the body she established in 2009, builds on this work by teaching foraging practices and the in-situ conservation of medicinal plants, several of which are reported to be threatened in the Eastern Himalaya by deforestation, overharvesting and changes in local climate.

Scientific assessment None of Lego's medical claims is supported by published clinical evidence. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health states that no herb has been proven an effective treatment for any disease, Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic and folk herbal preparations have repeatedly been found to contain unsafe levels of lead, mercury and arsenic.

Public criticism In June 2026, Instagram had blocked Lego's account in India over public health concerns, with the platform's action described as a step to prevent the dissemination of content that could endanger public health.

Further, the hepatologist Cyriac Abby Philips, who posts on social media as "The Liver Doc" and has published peer-reviewed research on liver injury linked to Indian traditional medicines, has publicly challenged Lego over her claims of curing cancer, diabetes and other serious illnesses, and has called on her to take part in a televised debate to produce clinical evidence for her preparations.

Awards SRISTI Samman (2007) Paramparika Vaidya Ratna (2013) Arunachal State Award (2019) Padma Shri (2024)