Jiaogulan is the name given to a medicinal plant from Asia. Among other things, it is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Occurrence and cultivation of jiaogulan.
The jiaogulan plant is an annual to perennial species. The medicinal herb can reach growing heights between four and eight meters. Jiaogulan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum) belongs to the genus Gynostemma and is part of the cucurbit family (Cucurbitaceae). The jiaogulan plant is an annual to perennial species. The medicinal herb can reach heights of growth between four and eight meters. The root tubers are formed as a survival organ. From the roots, tendrils are formed. These usually branch out with each other. Leaves develop from the tendrils. They are usually composed of five individual specimens. For this reason, the Jiaogulan also bears the name 5-leaf ginseng. The small flowers, which are yellow-green in color, have two different sexes. In the further course of growth, black-green berries emerge from the flowers. They reach a size of about eight millimeters, but are not important for medicinal purposes. The jiaogulan plant is native to Asian regions such as China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, India, Thailand and the Malesian regions. The medicinal herb particularly likes to thrive in thickets and appreciates warm, humid climates. Jiaogulan can even grow at an altitude of 3200 meters.
Effect and application
In Asia, the Jiaogulan plant has been used for centuries as a remedy. Thus, it has ingredients such as saponins, ginsenoside, gynosaponins and gypenosides. It also contains vitamins, minerals, polysaccharides and proteins. The herb and leaves of the plant, which can also be eaten as leafy vegetables, are used medicinally. The most common form of administration of the Asian herb is tea. For its preparation, the leaves of Jiaogulan are usually pressed into balls. These can then be placed in 500 milliliters of boiling water and yield two cups of tea. However, dried or fresh jiaogulan leaves can be used for tea preparation in the same way. For this purpose, the user adds one or two teaspoons of jiaogulan herb to one to two cups of boiled water. The subsequent brewing time of the tea is ten minutes. Following the straining, the jiaogulan tea mixture is drunk slowly. The taste of the tea is somewhat similar to green tea. It also tastes sweet and grassy. The recommended dose is three cups per day. After six weeks of use, it is advisable to stop taking it for a temporary period and drink another tea. After this break, the jiaogulan tea can then be used again. In this way, long-term effects that are not desired can be minimized. In addition, the positive effect of jiaogulan is not affected by the habituation effect. Those who do not like tea also have the option of taking ready-made preparations. In these capsules or tablets, the components of the Jiaogulan plant are present in powder form. In addition, the jiaogulan leaves can be eaten like fresh vegetables. The young shoots of the plant, which can be nibbled without any preparation, are considered to be particularly delicate. They have a slightly sweet aroma.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
As a medicinal plant, jiaogulan has been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) since the 15th century. However, Chinese medicine discovered the beneficial effects of the plant relatively late. Thus, the gourd plant was found only in some areas in southern China and in the north of Vietnam. Nowadays, the plant is considered to be partly responsible for the old age of people living in the southern provinces of Shicuan, Guizhou and Guangxi. They often reach a lifespan of more than one hundred years. Traditional Chinese medicine uses the medicinal herb for detoxification, balancing the metabolism as well as for strengthening. Other uses include hepatitis as well as blood poisoning (sepsis). In the USA and Europe, however, the Jiaogulan plant has only been used for a few years. The effect of Jiaogulan on human health should not be underestimated. The positive effects of jiaogulan leaves are considered to be similar to those of ginseng. Thus, the glycosides within the jiaogulan have great similarities with the ginseng glycosides.The glycoside content of the medicinal herb is even considered to be four times higher than that of ginseng. The Jiaogulan plant has a regulating effect. Thus, it has the property of strengthening when there is too little energy and weakening when there is too much energy. In this way, too high blood pressure can be lowered, while too low blood pressure can be raised. The herb is also considered stimulating and relaxing at the same time. Jiaogulan is also used against cancer. However, there are no scientific studies confirming positive effects on cancer. However, it can be used to support radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Drinking jiaogulan tea is considered to be useful for the prevention of tumor diseases. Jiaogulan also has preventive effects against other diseases. These include a heart attack or stroke. The reason for this is an improvement of blood circulation by taking the jiaogulan herb. In addition, blood vessels that are diseased can regenerate better. At the same time, the performance of the brain can be increased. Jiaogulan leaves are also capable of lowering elevated blood lipid levels. Thus, the Asian plant has a reducing effect on LDL cholesterol, which is considered harmful, while HDL cholesterol, which is beneficial to health, increases. Likewise, the nervous system has benefits from the jiaogulan plant. Other uses of the herb include liver weakness, bronchitis, hardening of the arteries, insomnia, dark circles under the eyes, forgetfulness, stress, nervousness, and gastrointestinal disorders.
