Jiaogulan bursts onto the U.S. herb scene

Better Nutrition, March, 1997 by James J. Gormley, Patricia Andersen-Parrado

Jiaogulan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum) is a powerful adaptogenic Chinese herb which is still relatively unknown in the Western world, although this is changing fast.

Used in China for centuries as a culinary botanical and as a tea, this herb from the cucumber family has traditionally been grown in a mountainous region in South Central China, an area known, anecdotally, for the longevity of its inhabitants and reportedly low rates of cancer.

It is known as an an "adaptogen" since it has the unique ability, as some tonic herbs do, to adapt to stress by always restoring "homeostasis,n or balance, to the body's systems, including blood pressure, reproductive function, digestive function, the immune response, mental function, physical performance, and other physiological markers.

Called the "Fairy Herb," it is also called "Southern Ginseng" due to its high quantity of special saponins called "gypenosides," which are very similar to the ginsenosides found in ginseng, but at a level several-fold higher. In fact, a pharmacological review from 1988 identifies 82 individual saponins, many of which were effective in treating tumors, decreasing blood lipid levels, and in treating ulcers.

Antioxidant/Protective effects. A 1993 study by Benjamin Lau, Ph.D., et al., examined different models of oxidative stress, and found that saponins from Jiaogulan decreased the production of free radicals in immune cells, protected biomembranes (such as the liver) from oxidative injury, and improved the functioning of vascular endothelial cells. The researchers concluded that "the extensive antioxidant effect of [Jiaogulan] may be valuable to the prevention and treatment of various diseases such as atherosclerosis, liver disease and inflammation."

Cancer and immune function. A experiment by W. Chen, Ph.D., that appeared in a 1996 issue of the American Journal of Chinese Medicine, found Jiaogulan (C. pentaphyllum) helped preserve immune function in rats receiving gamma-ray bombardment, suggesting that the herb may help cancer patients who are undergoing radiation therapy.

A 1995 clinical trial was carried out by Qian Hao, et al., at China's Shanghai Medical University to determine this adaptogen's effect on cellular immunity in patients with lung cancer undergoing combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The results suggested "that jiaogulan can protect patients' cellular immunity when the patients are receiving radiotherapy plus chemotherapy."

Cardiovascular function. In 1990, L. Chen, Ph.D., et al., studied "heart function and hemodynamics" in a non-human model. Results indicated that the gypenosides-treated animals achieved: significantly lowered blood pressure; markedly decreased vascular resistance; and increased coronary blood flow [including that to the brain].

Specifically anti-atherosclerotic effects have also been reported. In 1990, the "antiplatelet-aggregation effect of gypenosides extracted from C. pentaphyllum was studied" by J. Wu, et al., in test-tube and in vivo environments. The analysis found that these compounds significantly increased platelet cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels which, in turn, held back the sticking together of platelets--aggregation, what causes atherosclerotic plaque.

These anti-platelet-aggregation effects also can reduce the chances of thrombosis, developing a thrombus, or fibrinous clot, which can form in a blood vessel or in a valve of the heart. H. Tan, et al., looked at test-tube samples to observe the action of Jiaogulan on platelet clumpiness. Their results revealed that C. pentaphyllum effectively blocked platelet aggregation that was brought on by chemicals, sped up the breakup of platelets had already started clumping, and prevented thrombosis.

The anti-cholesterol and anti-triglyceride effects of Jiaogulan's saponins were examined in a 1983 study by Y. Kimura, et al. Crude gypenosides were tested for their effect on lipid metabolism in rats fed high-sugar high-fat diets. It was found that giving these extracts reduced levels of serum triglycerides (as important a marker as cholesterol), total cholesterol, and phospholipids; lipid peroxidation was also decreased.

Overall beneficial effects. A pharmacological assay by S. Arichi (1986) concluded that "saponins of C. pentaphyllum are tonics that stimulate tissues to vitalize physiological activities." In fact, due to Jiaogulan's overall protective effects in reducing the damage to our systems and vessels that usually increases as we grow older, Benjamin Lau (in another study) concluded that "the data suggest that gypenosides may be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis and for retardation of the aging process."

Perhaps Jiaogulan's "Miracle Grass" moniker in China has a grain of truth to it?