Jiaogulan Tea - anyone heard of this?

daisy366
daisy366 Member Posts: 1,458 Member
Gynostemma pentaphyllum, also called jiaogulan (Chinese: 绞股蓝; pinyin: jiǎogǔlán, literally "twisting-vine orchid"[1]) is an herbaceous vine of the family Cucurbitaceae (cucumber or gourd family) indigenous to the southern reaches of China, northern Vietnam, southern Korea, and Japan. Jiaogulan is best known as an herbal medicine reputed to have powerful antioxidant and adaptogenic effects purported to increase longevity. Clinical research has indicated a number of therapeutic qualities of Jiaogulan, such as lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure, strengthening immunity, and inhibiting cancer growth.


My acupuncturist introduced me to this recently. She had teabags for sampling. I tried and it is very nice brew - slightly sweet. She recommends as substitute for green tea because of the caffeine that green tea has. She told me "Just 2 shots of caffeine a day!"

My husband is a worry wort and looked up contraindications. It is not advised to take the herb with aspirin since they both thin the blood.

I am just going to drink this whenever I want a cup of tea - not necessarily looking for medicinal benefits - but it does seem to be healthy and Acupuncture Today publication wrote favorable article.

Let me know what you think. Mary Ann

Comments

  • bea-mil
    bea-mil Member Posts: 108
    Hi,
    I've searched the net and ....I love it. I will definitely try this tea.

    I can also suggest another herbal tea that is very good. It is called Holly Basil/Tulsi not to be confused with sweet (culinary) basil.

    It is valued for antibacterial, anti fungal, and inti-inflammatory properties. There is some evidence that holy basil is effective in lowering blood sugar.
    It also has powerful antioxidants that can help strengthen the bodies immune system which can help fend off certain diseases and other airborne germs. You can get rid of about 99% of germs and bacteria in your mouth with the help of holy basil benefits. It acts as an excellent and cost-effective mouth freshener, while being an effective remedy for mouth ulcers.

    One of the very important and valued holy basil benefits is the good job they do for the heart. The vitamin C and Eugenol content of the plant act as a protective shield for the heart against the damage of free radicals. To add to this, the agent Eugenol is known to bring down the levels of cholesterol from blood.

    It is also caffeine free.

    Bea-Mil
  • daisy366
    daisy366 Member Posts: 1,458 Member
    bea-mil said:

    Hi,
    I've searched the net and ....I love it. I will definitely try this tea.

    I can also suggest another herbal tea that is very good. It is called Holly Basil/Tulsi not to be confused with sweet (culinary) basil.

    It is valued for antibacterial, anti fungal, and inti-inflammatory properties. There is some evidence that holy basil is effective in lowering blood sugar.
    It also has powerful antioxidants that can help strengthen the bodies immune system which can help fend off certain diseases and other airborne germs. You can get rid of about 99% of germs and bacteria in your mouth with the help of holy basil benefits. It acts as an excellent and cost-effective mouth freshener, while being an effective remedy for mouth ulcers.

    One of the very important and valued holy basil benefits is the good job they do for the heart. The vitamin C and Eugenol content of the plant act as a protective shield for the heart against the damage of free radicals. To add to this, the agent Eugenol is known to bring down the levels of cholesterol from blood.

    It is also caffeine free.

    Bea-Mil

    Bea-Mil
    I asked my acupuncturist about the safety of this and Chinese products due to pollution. She said that Jiaogulan may be hard to obtain. She said she deals with longstanding vendors that she trusts. She said that in general the Chinese are very proud of their herbs and take great care in producing them.

    I purchased through her - $18 for 100 teabags. I'll be interested to hear what experience you have buying this.

    Mary Ann