Jiaogulan Benefits in Stress (SQ-2)
While it may be hard to define stress, most of us think of it as something psychological; worrying about bills, money, loved ones, meeting deadlines at work, and countless other issues. The truth is stress can be physical or environmental too. Factors such as poor sleep, fatigue, not eating well, exposure to toxins, getting sick and chronic infections also stress out the body at many levels.
Are you living a highly stressful life? Chronic stress not only puts your emotional and mental well-being at risk, but also your physical well-being at risk. It makes your body age prematurely and creates a scenario where you are vulnerable to many health problems such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, chronic pain, depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
So, it is important that you don’t let your body run down with chronic stress if you want to live a healthy, vibrant life without the risk of these stress-induced health problems.
Let’s see how Gynostemma pentaphyllum or Jiaogulan, also known as the Herb of Immortality, protects your body from the damage caused by everyday stress.
Jiaogulan: A powerful adaptogen to beat stress and fight fatigue naturally
Jiaogulan is a Chinese herb known for its powerful adaptogenic and anti-oxidant benefits. What it does best is that it supports and strengthens the body’s capacity to self-heal under stressful situations.
But first a little bit about adaptogens. Traditionally referred to as tonics or rejuvenators, adaptogens belong to a rare, elite class of herbs that increase the body's resilience to stress. As the name suggests, adaptogens help the body to adapt to stress from all quarters, whether it is coming from anxiety, injury, being sick or even extreme cold.
Not all plants are adaptogens and to qualify as one, a herb must have these important properties:
- Must be safe and non-toxic
- Improves the body’s ability to deal with all kinds of stress
- Normalizes imbalanced functions and promotes haemostasis (balance) in the body.
Simply speaking, adaptogens like Jiaogulan are truly amazing when it comes to beating stress and regaining an overall balance! [1]
How does Jiaogulan work?
Jiaogulan contains a wide range of saponins, special chemical compounds responsible for Jiaogulan’s adaptogenic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. In addition, polysaccharides found in Jiaogulan show anti-fatigue effects and helps the body recover faster from exercise-induced exhaustion. [2]
Jiaogulan can sense imbalances in the body and works to normalize these disturbances with a bi-directional intelligence. This means it can either enhance the activity of systems that are not functioning as well as they should or tone down the ones that are over-functioning. Jiaogulan basically does what is needed to restore balance in the body. So, how does Jiaogulan work to relieve stress and anxiety?
Jiaogulan works by stabilizing the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a system that plays a central role in managing how the body responds to stress; and involves the dynamic interaction between the central nervous system and the endocrine system.
By stabilizing HPA axis, Jiaogulan strengthens and maintains the body’s adaptive energy – preventing stress from causing the physical or mental damage.
- Improves adrenal health
- Regulates levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, allowing the body to respond to stress in a healthy manner.
- Calms a frayed nervous system, leading to less stress and anxiety
- Promotes healthy sleep
- Exerts anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, reducing inflammation and cellular damage
- Boosts immune functions
A body with well-balanced, healthy physiological functions is better equipped to cope with everyday stress and fatigue, and recover faster from illness. And that is exactly what Jiaogulan will help you to achieve.
Feeling too stressed and wired? Try a warm cup of Jiaogulan tea, a delicious way to get your daily dose of this powerful anti-stress and anti-fatigue herb.
A word of caution: While Jiaogulan is safe and non-harming, always consult your doctor before taking it. Don’t take Jiaogulan if you are pregnant or breast feeding.
Stay tuned for other health benefits of Jiaogulan in our upcoming blogs.
References:
- Stansbury, Jill; Saunders, Paul; Winston, David; Supporting Adrenal Function with Adaptogenic Herbs; Journal of Restorative Medicine, Volume 1, Number 1, September 2012, pp. 76-82(7)
- C. J. Li, A. Li, "The Effects of Polysaccharide from Gynostemma pentaphyllum Supplementation on Exhaustive Exercise-Induced Fatigue", Applied Mechanics and Materials, Vol. 730, pp. 241-244, Jan. 2015
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