Jiaogulan - effect and use

Jiaogulan - the herb of immortality

Longevity and vitality into old age are known to promise many medicinal herbs. But only with the immortality herb (Gynostemma pentaphyllum) it has made the life-prolonging effect of the herb even in the official plant names. This comes from the Chinese epithet of the plant, which is Xiancao and means "herb of immortality".

Much better known, however, is the Chinese original name Jiaogulan (绞股蓝). It translates significantly more unspectacularly with "Raising Indigo Plant" or "Spiral Vine Orchid". In Japan, Jiaogulan is also known as Amachazuru because of its sweetish taste, which means something like "sweet tea tendril".

In the herb of immortality, in fact, much is raked, and not only by the climber himself. Also in terms of intriguing on the part of product manufacturers regarding any patent rights to the natural product it proliferates vastly.

contents

• Jiaogulan - the herb of immortality
• Wanted poster for Jiaogulan
• Herbal Portrait: The herb of immortality
• Patent war for the fountain of youth
• Effect and ingredients
• Gynosaponins protect the liver, heart and vessels
• Saponins in Jiaogulan strengthen body and mind
• Application and dosage
• Jiaogulan in the kitchen and in the garden
• The tea from Jiaogulan
• side effects
• The aromatic plant of the year - studies speak a clear language
• Buy Jiaogulan - drugstore, bio-shop or herbalist
• Conclusion

Wanted poster for Jiaogulan

Scientific name: Gynostemma pentaphyllum
Family: Cucurbitaceae (Cucurbitaceae)
Popular names: Immortality herb, rank indigo plant, amachazuru, sweet tarberry, woman ginseng
Used plant parts: leaves
Ancestry: Asia
Main ingredients: Saponins (ginsenosides, gynosaponins)
Application areas:

• immune deficiency,
• Cardiac and circulatory weakness,
• Metabolic weakness,
• Blood and vascular diseases.

Jiaogulan is a nondescript plant that could have versatile uses in medicine. (Image: ExQuisine / fotolia.com)

Herbal Portrait: The herb of immortality

You may not immediately look at the immortality herb, but it belongs to the cucurbits (Cucurbitaceae) and is therefore closely related to traditional vegetables such as pumpkins, cucumbers and melons. In Asia, Jiaogulan is also used as an ordinary food. In Europe, despite existing studies that refute the toxicity and side effects of jiaogulan, the distribution of the plant as a food is currently prohibited. But why? Is Jiaogulan dangerous? Can it cause health damage if wrong dosage?

Anyone looking for answers here quickly encounters a shadow war over the patent rights of hitherto unknown crops and medicinal plants. The health trend is not only of interest to the food industry and herbal distributors. Also pharmaceutical companies smell the big business here. A plant that is regarded as the herb of immortality in its homeland does not remain unnoticed for a long time:

• In many regions of China where Jiaogulan is consumed as a traditional vegetable, the number of over 100 year olds, who still enjoy the best health despite their advanced age, is noticeably high.
• It is believed that this vitality and longevity is associated with the daily consumption of jiaogulan, whereby the medicinal plant fountain of youth is so far known to very few people in Europe.
• The herb is not harmful to health, but unknown as a medicinal Superfood and therefore an extremely profitable source of income for both the food industry, as well as for the pharmaceutical industry.

Patent war for the fountain of youth

The war between the pharmaceutical and food industry for the rights to use "new" medicinal plants has been raging for a long time. However, it reached its peak in the Novel Foods Regulation (NFV) of 1997. The regulation states that "novel" foods that were not yet on the market before 1997 need to be carefully scrutinized before being authorized.

The name herb of immortality promises long and fulfilling life. (Image: imtmphoto / fotolia.com)

The NFV is actually due to the advent of genetically modified food. However, pharmaceutical companies are only too happy to use the legal loopholes of the ordinance to secure limited distribution rights to medicinal herbs and their products far away from genetic manipulation. The temporary ban on the sale of medicinal herbs as food has enormous and, for medicinal herbs sales, sometimes very drastic effects. The patent dispute over the herb of immortality is particularly clear:

• According to NFV, products from Jiaogulan must not be marketed as tea herbs or internally applicable vital preparations with beneficial effects until complete testing.
• Such a test is far too costly for the mostly medium-sized herbal distributors, as well as for numerous food manufacturers and can sometimes take years.
• So herbal and grocers are forced to the decision to sell the legendary immortality herb under the banal award as a fragrant plant.
• The Novel Food Regulation also denies them the right to provide specific information on the healing properties and dosage of jiaogulan, since such advice is only permitted for tested foods and pharmaceutical ingredients.
• The restrictions inevitably lead to artificially withholding information about Jiaogulan from herbalists.
• According to numerous herbal and nutrition experts, this strategy has the sole purpose of delaying end-user interest until pharmaceutical companies can obtain patent rights by financing expensive private studies.

The prohibition of Jiaogulan is therefore not in doubt about its actual health value, but about which industry may deserve a golden nose at the healing effect of the immortality herb.

Of course, the question arises as to what healing effect is actually being contested. Undoubtedly a pretty impressive, if not unique. Because among all herbs of Traditional Chinese Medicine Jiaogulan is the one whose healing effect on physical health even exceeds that of ginseng many times over. The herb is supposed to help with the following complaints:

• Cardiovascular diseases,
• immunodeficiencies,
• infections,
• organ diseases,
• mental and psychological disorders,
• Metabolic diseases
• as well as cell aging and cell damage.

From a medical point of view, this would cover both the most important causes of illnesses as well as the reasons for a premature death due to illness. Even anti-cancer properties have already been proven to the herb of immortality.

Jiaogulan, like many other herbs, has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. (Image: Yü Lan / fotolia.com)

Effect and ingredients

It becomes clear where the wind is blowing in the current patent dispute over the medicinal plant fountain of youth. The pharmaceutical and food industries may challenge a new option in cancer treatment, which also has life-prolonging and psychotherapeutic talents.

Unfortunately, those who expect an extravagant abundance of different active ingredient groups behind the ingredients of Jiaogulan must unfortunately be disappointed. For the healing effect of the immortality herb is based solely on saponins. These are phytochemicals that consist of a special combination of polyhydric sugars and alcohol and, for example, ginseng

• antioxidant,
• blood-purifying,
• anti-inflammatory,
• vascular tonic,
• urinary and secretive,
• cardiovascular-strengthening,
• immune-boosting,
• metabolism and hormone regulating
• as well as confer cytoprotective effects.

In particular, the 28 ginseng saponins are the most effective saponins ever. They are also referred to as ginsenosides, because they actually occur only in ginseng and some related species.

With one exception: Jiaogulan contains more than four times as many saponins as ginseng. Its highly effective ginsenosides make up just 25 percent of the healing saponin compounds in the immortality herb. Science has named them gynosaponins and has since defined ginseng saponins as just a subset of these salubrious saponin actives.

A plantation of Jiaogulan in the Chinese countryside. (Image: bonga1965 / fotolia.com)

Gynosaponins protect the liver, heart and vessels

The centenarians in China, who regularly eat jiaogulan, have been found to have little if any of the heart disease and vascular disease responsible for premature mortality in the West. This is probably because the gynosaponins of Jiaogulan are reliable

• Dissolve blood poisoning,
• Lower cholesterol and lipid levels,
• regulate blood sugar,
• Purify the vessels
• and strengthen the function of the liver.

Gynosaponins thus have a very blood-purifying effect and also support the digestion of fat, which not only relieves the vessels, but also the heart and liver. Jiaogulan is therefore especially interesting for the treatment or prevention of

• Arteriosclerosis (atherosclerosis),
• high blood pressure,
• Circulatory disorders,
• elevated cholesterol level,
• diabetes,
• fatty liver,
• hepatitis
• as well as heart and liver weakness.

In China, tablets from the gynosaponins of Jiaogulan were already approved in 1987 for the treatment of hyperlipidemia. The condition describes chronically elevated cholesterol and lipid levels, which dramatically increase the risk of arteriosclerosis, fatty liver and even gout.

Jiaogulan in the form of balls can be easily brewed as a tea. (Image: helfei / fotolia.com)

Saponins in Jiaogulan strengthen body and mind

When it comes to the herbal choice, Traditional Chinese Medicine is known to have a holistic healing effect. In 1991, Jiaogulan was included in the list of the top ten medicinal herbs at the Beijing International TCM Conference.

In addition to their liver, heart and vascular protective properties, the saponins in the herb of immortality are characterized by further unique effects. Of particular note here is the adaptogenic effect of Jiaogulan. This means that the herb helps the body successfully assert itself in confrontation with everyday stress and strain factors, such as

• of infection,
• environmental pollutants,
• performance requirements,
• Fear and mental stress
• or extreme temperature, light or noise influences.

Now that sounds like a suspicious magic agent, it's actually a pretty easy-to-explain mechanism of action. Thanks to their strengthening and stimulating properties, saponins improve the efficiency of systemic bodily functions. Which includes:

• brain power,
• hormonal processes,
• immune defense,
• Circulatory functions,
• Muscle and nerve functions
• as well as metabolic functions.

In short: Jiaogulan helps to maintain the essential systemic functions of our body and thus equips the organism against the challenges of everyday life. This benefits not only the physical body, but also the soul and mind, which are commonly severely affected by everyday stress and pressure to perform, benefit greatly.

Application and dosage

Currently, as herbalists are not allowed to sell jiaogulan supplements for internal use as food crops, many trade the products of immortality herb as aromatic plants. Because the distribution of preferred aromatic plants and dried plant herbs is still possible.

Jiaogulan in the kitchen and in the garden

Jiaogulan is hardy in Europe down to -18 ° C, so it can easily be cultivated throughout the year in the local herbal bed. We recommend early specimens, because seed cultivation is difficult.

Anyone who chooses a Jiaogulan plant, the herb can be a real asset to the local cuisine. For example, the aromatic and spicy immortality herb can be used here

• Soups,
• spinach side dishes,
• salads,
• smoothies
• and juices.

Jiaogulan tea can be prepared from both dried and fresh leaves. (Image: frogstyle / fotolia.com)

The tea from Jiaogulan

Some individuals use the Jiaogulan herbs like ordinary tea herbs and brew the tea from fresh or dried leaves.

Preparation of Jiaogulan tea:

• a teaspoon of Jiaogulan herb,
• a cup of boiling water,
• Brewing time: 10 minutes,
• drink one to three cups of the Absud daily.

As an alternative to the pre-cut herb, use pre-dosed Jiaogulan herb balls for the tea.

Tea with herbal balls from Jiaogulan:

• a herbal ball of pressed jiaogulan leaves,
• 500 ml of water (about two cups),
• let it rest for ten minutes,
• drink one to three cups daily.

side effects

No side effects are known for Jiaogulan. After a maximum of six weeks of continuous use, however, as with all herbs, a 7-day application break is recommended.

Jiaogulan is also available in the form of capsules. (Image: Julia / fotolia.com)

The aromatic plant of the year - studies speak a clear language

Jiaogulan first appears in medical writings around 1406, at the time of the Great Ming Dynasty. Here, herbalist Zhu Xiao described the plant in his book, "Medicinal Herbs Against Famine." A reference that clearly indicates the use of the plant as food.

About 170 years later, Chinese physician, pharmacist and botanist Li Shizen characterized the herb in its famous herbal encyclopaedia "Bencao Gangmu" as a valuable medicinal herb.

Of course, given the current dispute over the rights of use of Jiaogulan between the food and pharmaceutical industries, this adds fuel to the fire, especially since most of the effects claimed by the immortality herb seem to be true.

To break a lance for herbal and food manufacturers at this point, a significant study from China itself, which was carried out by the Institute of Food Science and Medically Active Food at the Jiao Tong University in Shanghai.

Experts from the University's Department of Agriculture and Biology actually examined the anti-inflammatory properties of Jiaogulan, which they were able to successfully prove. Particularly interesting, however, is the final formula of the study result, in which the researchers expressly support the distribution of jiaogulan as functional food.

To understand: Functional Foods is another term for superfood that describes foods that have medicinal ingredients, but are sold as freely available food products because of their consistently positive health effects. If Jiaogulan were finally released as functional food under the Novel Food Regulation, herbalists, as well as organic markets and drugstores, could officially offer the herb of immortality for what it is: one of the healthiest foods in the world.

The performance-enhancing effect of Jiaogulan find many athletes helpful. (Image: Kiattisak / fotolia.com)

Buy Jiaogulan - drugstore, bio-shop or herbalist

At the moment you can often find only seeds, preferred plants or herbs of Jiaogulan. Some specialty products are also available in the form of herbal balls or capsules made of leaf powder. As with all herbal supplements that originate from Asia: Whenever possible, pay attention to organic certificates in order to exclude pesticide contamination.

Conclusion

According to its proponents, the herb of immortality actually does what it promises. The name goes back to the unique mechanism of action of Jiaogulan, which supports the health through holistic strengthening and purification of the body.

Those who regularly take Jiaogulan should be able to extend their lives by improving their health. Proof of this are dozens of Chinese people over 100, whose longevity is attributed to making immortality herb an integral part of their daily diet.

Many people hope that soon there will be nothing to stop the use of Jiaogulan as a herbal food. Because it does not always have to be medications that can support a healthy life positively. (Ma)