Jiaogulan tea: effect and preparation of the Asian medicinal herb

Photo: Staber / utopia.de

Jiaogulan tea is still quite unknown to us. Jiaogulan is a valuable medicinal herb in many parts of Asia. We’ll show you how to prepare the tea and how it works.

Jiaogulan, Latin Gynostemma pentaphyllum, is considered one of the ten most important medicinal plants in the traditional chinese medicine. The Asian plant is also called “Herb of Immortalitycalled. Jiaogulan owes its nickname to a Chinese province in which a noticeably large number of people lived to be over 100 years old. When asked about the reason for their old age, the residents are said to have justified this with the consumption of Jiaogulan.

Jiaogulan belongs to like ginseng and Greek mountain tea to the adaptanogens. These are natural substances that can have a balancing effect on your body oxidative stress while being free from unpleasant side effects.

Botanically, the plant is a cucurbit and comes from China, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and Korea. Because of the leaf shape, the plant will too Five-finger ginseng called. The climbing plant reaches a length of up to nine meters in tropical regions. Jiaogulan also thrives here in Europe, but remains significantly smaller due to the climatic conditions. Since the plant is sensitive to frost, it is best to plant it in a pot.

Jiaogulan tea: ingredients and effects

Jiaogulan also thrives in pots.
Jiaogulan also thrives in pots.
(Photo: Staber / utopia.de)

Jiaogulan contains similar ingredients as ginsengalthough the two plants are not botanically related. The most important substances include:

  • Flavonoids
  • Saponins
  • Polysaccharides
  • Proteins
  • Antioxidants
  • iron
  • zinc
  • magnesium

Jiaogulan has been extensively studied, and its effects have been confirmed by various studies. The International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences has summarized the current state of research and was able to demonstrate the following effects:

  • antioxidant: Jiaogulan effectively reduces oxidative stress. It helps the body to renew cells and thus slows down the aging process.
  • anti-cancerous: Different studies were able to prove that jiaogulan has strong anti-carcinogenic properties. The plant also has a preventive effect and prevents the formation of tumors.
  • adaptogen: Adaptanogens support the body’s own regeneration process and help it to deal with negative influences. They have a balancing effect on the hormonal balance, blood pressure, blood sugar level and the immune system.

Jiaogulan tea: this is how you prepare it

Jiaogulan tea tastes good and is easy to prepare.
Jiaogulan tea tastes good and is easy to prepare.
(Photo: Staber / utopia.de)

In Asia, jiaogulan is considered a food. The leaves are rich in vitamins and nutrients. They are consumed both raw and cooked, for example as a salad, smoothie or something similar Prepared spinach.

For medicinal purposes and here in Europe, the use as tea is most widespread. How to prepare the tea:

  • You can use both fresh and dried leaves for the tea. For one liter of tea, you need about a teaspoon of the dried herb or about five fresh leaves.
  • Boil a liter of water and then let it cool to 90 to 80 degrees.
  • Let the tea steep for five to ten minutes before removing the plant parts.
  • Since Jiaogulan is free from unpleasant side effects, you can drink as much of the tea as you want.
  • Women during pregnancy and children can also consume tea from Jiaogulan without hesitation.

Due to the Novel Food Regulation According to the EU, Jiaogulan may not be sold as food or tea in Europe The regulation requires foods that were not sold in Europe until 1997 to be health assessed before they can be approved. Since the approval process is lengthy and costly and the demand for jiaogulan is very low, the medicinal plant is sold in Europe as an ornamental plant or as a nutritional supplement.

Read more on Techzle.com:

  • Drink tea – the right way
  • Green tea: effect of the popular tea variety
  • Pu-erh tea: origin, preparation and interesting facts about fermented tea

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