10/16/2020 Jiaogulan: The little-known herb that may be the secret to longevity | Fox News Watch TV MEDICINE HUNTER · Published September 8, 2016 Jiaogulan: The little-known herb that may be the secret to longevity By Chris Kilham, | Fox News Boost longevity with this herb Jiaogulan is known as the immorality herb. It’s being studied because it may hold the key to longer life. The Medicine Hunter, Chris Kilham tells us all about it Standing on a verdant hillside far north in Thailand’s Chiang Rai region, I gaze out at rolling hills of jiaogulan, also known as the immortality herb. This name derives from the purported longevity of people living in the mountainous Guizhou province of southwest China, who consume a tea made of steeped jiaogulan leaves on a regular basis. The plant may actually hold a key to longer and healthier life. Despite its possible benets for stemming the tide of aging and enhancing youthful health, the plant is not so well known. https://www.foxnews.com/health/jiaogulan-the-little-known-herb-that-may-be-the-secret-to-longevity 1/5 10/16/2020 Jiaogulan: The little-known herb that may be the secret to longevity | Fox News Jiaogulan, Gynostemma pentaphyllum, is in the same family of plants as cucumbers and gourds, though the plant bears no fruits. The plant is a climbing vine, and from my vantage point I see the wire fencing supporting the vast quantity of jiaogulan before me, covering perhaps 20 acres or so. The vines have climbed up and over the fencing, covering it all in a thick layering of bright green leaves. It’s the leaves of this plant that are made primarily into tea, and drunk the way one would drink any other infused tea. Known also as amachazuru, jiaoguan is endemic to the southern regions of China, and to parts of Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Japan. The herb has never really had its day in the sun, as it has never been distributed as widely as other popular botanicals like ginseng. More on this... Is this honey Malaysia’s healing secret? Natural cures for gout, cystic acne and toenail fungus Researchers say reading may increase lifespan This brings up a connection between jiaogulan, the lesser known herb of immortality, and ginseng, the very well-known, longevity-promoting herb. Thanks to some canny scientic inquiry conducted in the 1970s, we know that the two unrelated plants actually share similar compounds known to offer benets to many aspects of health. We can thank Japanese chemists Masahiro Nagai and Tsunematsu Takemoto for this knowledge. The former made groundbreaking discoveries that the two plants both contained saponins of particular types known to enhance health. The latter identied a very large number of these healthy saponins. In ginseng, the 28 active saponin compounds in the root are called ginsenosides. In jiaogulan the 82 known saponins are referred to as gypenosides. The former can actually be converted into the latter, and in the human body both groups promote diverse benecial effects, improving the health of key organ systems. Jiaogulan offers potent antioxidant protection. When you consume jiaogulan tea, your body increases its production of its own super antioxidant, known as SOD, or superoxide dismutase. This defends and protects the cells of the body from premature destruction due to exposure to harmful agents of all kinds. Jiaogulan has shown benets for heart health, enhancing the muscular activity of the heart and improving overall bloodow. It also helps to reduce LDL cholesterol, while providing a boost to healthy HDL. Jiaogulan proves a top-rated blood pressure control agent, reducing high blood pressure about half as well as the drug indapamide, which is marketed by Servier. As an adaptogen, jiaogulan increases energy, endurance, stamina, and recovery time, while reducing all forms of mental and emotional stress. It may also help to mitigate jet lag. The tea also appears https://www.foxnews.com/health/jiaogulan-the-little-known-herb-that-may-be-the-secret-to-longevity 2/5 10/16/2020 Jiaogulan: The little-known herb that may be the secret to longevity | Fox News to help stabilize blood sugar, and is a source of the popular avonol ampelopsin, which is used to soothe hangovers. As if that were insucient, jiaogulan is also liver-protective. Among the 50,000 or so medicinal plants in the world, only a few hundred are popular outside of their native regions. Jiaogulan is now ready to make its way into the global health market on a larger scale, for all the right reasons. Chris Kilham is a medicine hunter who researches natural remedies all over the world, from the Amazon to Siberia. Chris advises herbal, cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies, is a regular guest on radio and TV programs worldwide, and is the author of fteen books. Read more at MedicineHunter.com. Coronavirus U.S. Crime Military Education Terror Immigration Economy Personal Freedoms Fox News Investigates World Opinion U.N. Conicts Terrorism Disasters Global Economy Environment Religion Scandals https://www.foxnews.com/health/jiaogulan-the-little-known-herb-that-may-be-the-secret-to-longevity 3/5 10/16/2020 Jiaogulan: The little-known herb that may be the secret to longevity | Fox News Politics Entertainment Executive Celebrity News Senate Movies House TV News Judiciary Music News Foreign Policy Style News Polls Entertainment Video Elections Business Lifestyle Markets Food + Drink Politics Cars + Trucks Technology Travel + Outdoors Features House + Home Business Leaders Fitness + Well-being Style + Beauty Family Faith Science Tech Archaeology Security Air & Space Innovation Planet Earth Drones Wild Nature Computers Natural Science Video Games Dinosaurs Military Tech https://www.foxnews.com/health/jiaogulan-the-little-known-herb-that-may-be-the-secret-to-longevity 4/5 10/16/2020 Jiaogulan: The little-known herb that may be the secret to longevity | Fox News Health TV Coronavirus Shows Healthy Living Personalities Medical Research Watch Live Mental Health Full Episodes Cancer Show Clips Heart Health News Clips Children's Health About Other Contact Us Fox Nation Careers Fox News Shop Fox Around the World Fox News Go Advertise With Us Fox News Radio Media Relations Newsletters Corporate Information Alerts Compliance Podcasts Supplier Diversity Apps & Products New Terms of Use Updated Privacy Policy Do Not Sell my Personal Information Closed Captioning Policy Help Contact Us Accessibility Statement This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2020 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. All market data delayed 20 minutes. https://www.foxnews.com/health/jiaogulan-the-little-known-herb-that-may-be-the-secret-to-longevity 5/5.