The herbal medicine known as jiaogulan in Asia (and gynostemma in the West) is used widely in East and Southeast Asian traditional medicine. (R)
Some of the conditions it’s most commonly prescribed for in Asia include diabetes, hepatitis and cardiovascular disease, (R) with evidence mounting for its use in the treatment of cancer and various metabolic issues.
It also boasts an impressive safety profile, with no apparent toxicity (see contraindication below). (R)
Some 230 unique components have been isolated to date, including saponins, sterols, flavonoids and polysaccharides. (R)
Read on to learn why this modest herb is proving itself to be a powerhouse in the world of natural medicine.
The jiaogulan I take
Planetary Herbals Full Spectrum Jiaogulan Tablets (Amazon)
Jiaogulan fights fatigue
Jiaogulan is known to fight fatigue. (R)
Jiaogulan increased the exercise capacity of animals, reduced the metabolic stress associated with strenuous physical activity, and increased levels of stored glucose (known as glycogen). (R)
Jiaogulan increases expression of genes associated with mitochondrial activity and facilitates “beiging,” in which white fat literally becomes browner through increased concentrations of brown-colored mitochondria. (R)
Jiaogulan improves mood and cognition
Jiaogulan reduced microglial activation in the brain, suggesting it may prove useful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. (R)
In animals, jiaogulan reduced anxiety, increased emotional resilience to stress, and protected dopamine neurons in a model of Parkinson’s disease. (R)
Jiaogulan fights diabetes
Jiaogulan improves insulin sensitivity. (R)
Jiaogulan increased insulin levels by 1.9 times versus controls, improved insulin release, and raised glucose tolerance in an animal model of type 2 diabetes. (R)
In a study of untreated Type 2 diabetics, three months of jiaogulan use boosted insulin sensitivity and reduced fasting glucose levels. (R)
Nematodes exposed to high glucose levels were completely protected from a reduction in lifespan with jiaogulan treatment. (R)
Jiaogulan fights fat
Jiaogulan is traditionally used in China and Japan to prevent obesity and fatty liver. (R)
Jiaogulan decreases expression of genes associated with fat formation. (R)
In a study of obese patients, jiaogulan treatment significantly reduced many measures of obesity, including weight, BMI, and belly fat, compared to placebo. (R)
Obese animals treated with jiaogulan for several weeks were protected against spikes in cholesterol and blood sugar associated with fatty meals and a glucose challenge, respectively. (R)
Jiaogulan reduces cholesterol
Jiaogulan effects complex metabolic changes that beneficially alter one’s cholesterol profile, including a reduction in total and LDL cholesterol. (R)
Some of jiaogulan’s benefits to cholesterol appear to occur through preventing fat cells from releasing free fatty acids. (R)
In a study of people with high cholesterol, two months of jiaogulan treatment reduced total cholesterol levels by 7%. (R)
Animals fed a high-fat diet had a reduction in cholesterol with jiaogulan treatment, partially through enhancement of conversion of cholesterol into bile acids. (R)
Subjects with high blood sugar treated with jiaogulan saw reduced LDL and increased HDL cholesterol. (R)
Jiaogulan protects the liver
Jiaogulan significantly reduced BMI and insulin levels in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). (R)
Liver cells exposed to NAFLD-like conditions were completely protected from cell death when treated with jiaogulan. Jiaogulan also protected these cells from oxidative stress and accumulation of cholesterol and triglycerides. (R)
Jiaogulan benefits the gut
A single high dose of jiaogulan was shown to mitigate the damage caused by a toxin in the stomach and intestines. (R)
Jiaogulan helped prevent the formation of gastric ulcers due to stress, drugs, and alcohol. (R)
Jiaogulan routed many of the inflammatory processes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and reduced colitis-associated weight loss, colon shortening, and cellular damage. (R)
Jiaogulan favorably shifts the cytokine profile of the gut from a pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory state and beneficially modulates bacterial populations, facilitating repair of intestinal tissue. (R)
An animal study confirmed the beneficial shifts in bacterial populations in the guts of subjects treated with jiaogulan. (R)
Jiaogulan is antibacterial
Jiaogulan inhibits the growth of strep (streptococcus sanguinis, specifically). (R)
Jiaogulan reduced inflammation associated with bacteria in the bladder. (R)
Jiaogulan is anti-inflammatory
Jiaogulan has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. (R1, R2)
Several components of jiaogulan suppressed the pro-inflammatory response to a toxic insult. (R1, R2)
Jiaogulan protects heart muscle cells from damage associated with constricted blood flow (ischemia) followed by an influx of blood (reperfusion) by inhibiting expression of inflammatory proteins. (R)
Jiaogulan may protect against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Type 2 diabetics through downregulating expression of inflammatory proteins. (R)
Jiaogulan is an antioxidant
Jiaogulan scavenges cell-damaging free radicals. (R)
Jiaogulan extended the lifespan of skin cells damaged by oxidative stress induced by UVC light exposure. (R)
Jiaogulan and cancer
Many studies have proposed various mechanisms for jiaogulan’s anti-cancer activity, including modulating the immune system, inducing cell cycle arrest and programmed cell death, and prevention of metastasis. (R)
Compounds derived from jiaogulan fought leukemia in vitro and induced programmed cell death in mice leukemia cells. (R)
Jiaogulan induced programmed cell death in colorectal cancer cells, apparently by increasing concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells. (R)
One jiaogulan extract displayed some anti-breast cancer cell activity. (R)
A jiaogulan extract proved powerfully effective against four cancer cell lines, induced cell cycle arrest and programmed cell death, and inhibited growth of breast cancer cells. (R)
Additional benefits
Jiaogulan may be an effective treatment for hyperuricemia, or excess uric acid in the blood. (R)
Contraindications
May cause drug interactions by inhibiting the enzymes that metabolize them. (R)
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