For thousands of years, traditional Chinese medicine was and is still currently held with admiration due to it’s powerful healing methods. One of the significantly popular forms of these ancient medicines is used globally and considered a common solution to many ailments. Tea has been used for centuries as a cure to many common ailments including reducing fevers, headaches, blood pressure and much more. Different types of tea contain different plants or flowers, and it is the extraction of the chemical compounds found in them that are responsible for reducing pain and illness. These compounds are commonly used as a base for synthetic medications created for hospital and prescription use. There is still a lot of developing research on the efficacy of organic homeopathic treatments, but have been recognized as a temporary for thousands of years so it has traditional accreditation. If feeling unwell, maybe a cup of tea can brighten your day!
Today we will be going of the benefits of Jiaogulan tea.
Jiaogulan or Gynostemma pentaphaphyllum is a type of climbing vine that can be found native in China. It has a bittersweet flavor that taste somewhat similar to green tea and is caffeine free. There are a few constituents recognized for health benefits in Jiaogulan, the most important being a compound known as gypenoside that is a saponin similar to one that is also found in Panax ginseng. This would be the main active constituent that should be responsible for the health benefits experienced by consuming Jiaogulan or it’s extract. It also has flavonoids, chlorophyll and sterols that could be responsible for possibly promoting heart health and weight loss or reduced inflammation. Again, these are all claims that have yet to be finalized as safe and you should always consult your primary healthcare provider before starting a new supplement.
Jiaogulan has long been held in high veneration in traditional Chinese medicine and has been referred to as ” the immortality herb ” due to the fact where the people of the Ghizou province are found to have great longevity. It is also what may be called an adaptogenic herb, meaning that this herb may help the body adapt to stress, improve mental and athletic performance, and possibly boost the immune system. There have been studies that conclude that Jiaogulan may help regulate blood sugar by altering certain liver enzymes. They have also found that when Jiaogulan is administered to animals, it can signal the shift of the bacteria in the gut associated with with better weight and shapes, acting sort of as a probiotic.
Jiaogulan may help with diabetes, as the herb has been found to significantly lower blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes in recent studies. Jiaogulan with other herbs ( such as red sage and coptis) may also be used synergistically to decrease cholesterol and improve glucose tolerance. This may help with lowering BMI and reducing risk for cardiac related diseases.
Gynostemma pentaphaphyllum has been found to reduce stress levels that may influence the way brain cells regulate mood but more research is needed. This herb has been suggested to help fight asthma related conditions according to studies in mice as Jiaogulan may help reduce the airway inflammation.