Jiaogulan, Gynostemma pentaphyllum
Jiaogulan is an easily grown herbaceous perennial that we believe everyone should learn a little more about. So here we go!
This climbing vine, which grows wild in the mountains of Southern China and throughout Asia, has long been used as a folk herb by the Chinese. There is documented use of Jiaogulan in China dating back to the early 1400s. Jiaogulan is also called xiancao in China which means the “Herb of Immortality”. The leaves of this plant were used to make a tea which was usually consumed before going off to work. It was believed to increase energy, and to improve mental function and general health.
Jiaogulan has always been regarded as a medicinal herb by the villagers in the southern mountains of China but outside of these villages it took many centuries for Jiaogulan to be recognized as a beneficial plant. Not being on the list of herbs used for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) , it went fairly unnoticed in most of China for quite some time. It’s believed that Jiaogulan wasn’t included on this list because of where it grows wild. Being so far from central China where TCM began, it was overlooked as a folk herb or mountain vegetable and therefore considered only useful for nutritional purposes.
It took until the late 1970s for Jiaogulan to start to gain widespread interest in China. A census taken in the southern villages revealed that a portion of the villagers were living to be over 100 years old. These villages also had extremely low cancer rates. This intrigued scientists and upon investigation it was discovered that the villagers were drinking Jiaogulan tea instead of the green tea that was more common at the time.
Later in the 1980s, Dr Takemoto of Hiroshima University in Japan, began studying Jiaogulan’s specific compounds. He and his fellow scientists were searching for an herb to use as a sugar alternative. He chose to experiment with Jiaogulan because of its sweet taste. In Japan, Jiaogulan is known as Amachazuru meaning “sweet” “tea” “vine”. When he studied Jiaogulan closely he found that it possessed compounds very similar to Panax ginseng (Chinese ginseng). During his scientific research, it was discovered that Jiaogulan has 82 of these beneficial saponins compared to Ginseng having 28. Saponins are a unique substance that have the ability to dissolve in both oil and water and will foam up when mixed with water and shaken. The saponins found in Jiaogulan, which have since been named gypenosides, are responsible for the regulatory effect on many of our body systems including the cardiovascular, reproductive, immune, endocrine, and nervous system.
Dr. Takemoto did extensive studies through the 1980s on these saponins. His first studies were with animals. In one study, he noticed an increase in strength and endurance and better recovery from mice performing swimming tests. One study found the gypenosides to be effective as a neoplasm or tumor inhibitor while another study found them to prevent the unpleasant side effects of the hormone treatment dexamethasone through its cooling effect. Present studies on humans have verified his research. These recent studies show the gypenosides ability to increase white blood cell formation which helps inhibit the growth of cancer. Their use for antioxidant defense through the ability to induce synthesis of enzymes (specifically superoxide dismutase or SOD) that fight cancer causing free radicals has also been verified.
There have now been more than 300 scientific papers on Jiaogulan and its saponins. In these studies, it has been shown to reduce the effects of stress on the body, help strengthen the immune system, increase disease resistance, nourish the adrenal glands and bolster the body’s energy reserves. These papers also report that Jiaogulan can enhance cardiovascular function, lower high blood pressure, lower cholesterol and help women in their menopausal stage through neuro-endocrine regulation. It is very nourishing for our organs and can improve their function by increasing blood supply through enhanced cardiac output and better oxygen utilization. Other studies have focused on its use for diabetes, liver disorders specifically liver damage and hepatitis with good results. A study found Jiaogulan to be 92% effective when used to treat bronchitis. If you are interested in learning more about these studies, check out the book “Jiaogulan- China’s Immortality Herb” by Michael Blumert and Dr. Jialiu Liu. They go into detail on these studies and have references for the extensive list of studies conducted.
Because of its immune strengthening properties and its ability to reduce the effects of stress on the body by balancing the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, Jiaogulan is considered an adaptogenic herb. Known as "Southern ginseng” because it shares similar saponins to Panax ginseng, Jiaogulan differs in that herbalists do not offer caution to persons with high blood pressure to use a lower dose. It is found to be non addicting and will not keep you awake unless taken in a high dose. It is not considered a stimulant or a sedative yet it does calm the central nervous system when it is irritated or excite the CNS when it is depressed.
Jaiogulan is of the genus Gynostemma of which there are over thirty species. Gynostemma pentaphyllum is the species that is most widespread in SW China and the species that most of the scientific studies were performed on. “Penta” refers to the plant's 5 leaflets. It is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family or cucumber family. It can really grow like a weed with older plants reaching up to 20 feet a year! A young plant can be expected to grow 3-6’. Being very vigorous it has been documented to grow 2.5 inches overnight. It climbs by attaching its tendrils and does well with a trellis or something to grow along. In the summer it will produce tiny pale yellow blossoms which later become small fruit. It is dioecious and requires both male and female plants to be nearby to make fertile seed. The female produces the seed containing berries that will turn black when ripe. The leaves and stems which are used to make tea can be harvested throughout the season. Cultivated leaves gathered in June were shown to have the highest gypenoside concentration while the leaves of wild grown Jiaogulan had the highest concentration when harvested in August.
Jiaogulan is an herbaceous perennial meaning its growth dies back to the ground every year when exposed to freezing temperatures but it will reemerge in the late spring. It likes to grow in a warm sheltered area that has partial shade and with well drained, humus rich soil. In cold climates that drop to freezing or below, it can be grown year round inside a greenhouse. We have been experimenting with a patch both inside and outside of our greenhouse and have successfully overwintered it in zone 5 with a mulch covering. It does spread very easily by its roots so take care to keep it in a container if you do not want it to become invasive. It is very easy to propagate by roots or divisions.
Joe Hollis of Mountain Gardens in North Carolina, believed Jiaogulan is the “best plant to grow for your health” because of its many health benefits and how easy it is to grow. He suggests nibbling on the aerial parts and said he drank this herb daily as a tonic. We agree with Joe that Jaiogulan is a very beneficial plant and a wonderful addition to your gardens or landscape. If you are interested in trying to grow a Jiaogulan plant, head to our shop to purchase.
References:
*Jiaogulan- China’s “Immortality” Herb, by Michael Blumert and Dr. Jialiu Liu,
ISBN# 1-887089-16-0
*Mountain Gardens Instagram, Joe Hollis and YouTube Video
*I am sharing this video of how Jiaogulan is grown at a farm in Thailand as a visually fun thing to see. I am assuming this is then harvested and sold as a tea. I did not include any info from this video in my plant profile because I am not familiar with this character or his channel Medicine Hunter
I normally try to have at least 5 good resources while putting together my Materia medica profiles. Despite the multitude of studies done on Jiaogulan, I could not find this wonderful herb referenced in the many herbal books that I possess (besides the one included in my references). There are plenty of websites confirming what I put together here but I am unfamiliar with them so I did not use them in my research. If you are familiar with a reliable reference book that includes Jiaogulan, please shout out! I would love to be aware of it. Thank you :)
