Jiaogulan (aka. Sweet Tea Vine; Gynostemma pentaphyllum) is a tonic herb that has been consumed in some mountainous areas of Southeast Asia and China, also sometimes referred to as the “Immortality Herb” or “five-leaf ginseng”, as old people from these regions have reported consuming it regularly. It has been historically linked to remarkable human longevity and now gaining popularity for longevity and adaptogenic properties.
A climbing vine from the cucumber family, Jiaogulan (meaning “twisting blue plant”) is a native from Asia and New Guinea, Japan and Korea that produces tendrils to climb up to 26 feet and attach itself to other structures.
Jiaogulan grows in forests or roadside thickets, producing serrated leaflets and small inedible purple gourds.
The leaves and young stems are cooked and consumed, and have a sweet taste which leads to one of its common names as the “Sweet Tea Vine”. It is used not only as a tea, but also in biscuits and noodles and other food products.
As it is consumed as a “tonic herb”, which is thought to improve circulation, strengthen the nervous, cardiovascular and immune systems, and help with nervous tension and exhaustion, it is also considered as an adaptogenic herb.
Jiaogulan is also sometimes used in cosmetic and anti-aging formulations.
Through scientific investigation it has been found it to have anticancer, hepatoprotective, anti-obesity, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, immune modulating, antioxidant, liver health, cardiovascular, gut microbiome, mitochondrial health and anti-diabetic activities.
Herbal extracts on the market are often standardized to gypenosides, which are triterpenoid saponin compounds that have similarities to the ginsenosides from ginseng.
In one clinical study it was found that supplementation with Jiagolan extract in healthy, untrained males for four weeks resulted in significantly improved exercise performance, reduced blood glucose and leptin levels, and enhanced markers of metabolic health, including increased activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)—a key regulator of energy balance.
*This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician.
The Longevity Botanical
