What Is Jiaogulan? Benefits, Uses & Research | God's Way Herbs

What Is Jiaogulan? Benefits & Uses 

Jiaogulan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum) is a climbing vine traditionally consumed as an herbal tea in parts of China and other areas of East and Southeast Asia. Sometimes called Southern Ginseng, five-leaf ginseng, or the “herb of immortality,” jiaogulan has attracted considerable interest as an adaptogenic-style botanical associated with energy, metabolic wellness, cardiovascular health, antioxidant defenses, and resilience to everyday stress.

Despite the nickname Southern Ginseng, jiaogulan is not true ginseng. True ginseng belongs to the Panax genus, while jiaogulan belongs to the cucumber and gourd family.

One reason the two herbs are frequently compared is their naturally occurring saponins. Jiaogulan contains a large and chemically diverse group of saponins called gypenosides, some of which are structurally related to the ginsenosides found in Panax ginseng.

What Is Jiaogulan?

Jiaogulan is botanically known as Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino and belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family.

This is the same botanical family that includes:

• Cucumbers

• Melons

• Pumpkins

• Squash

• Gourds

Unlike many of its familiar relatives, jiaogulan grows as a slender climbing vine.

The name pentaphyllum refers to the plant's characteristic leaf structure, which frequently consists of five leaflets.

The leaves and aerial portions are primarily used in traditional herbal preparations.

Researchers have identified numerous naturally occurring compounds in Gynostemma pentaphyllum, including:

• Gypenosides

• Flavonoids

• Polysaccharides

• Sterols

• Amino acids

• Phenolic compounds

• Organic acids

• Trace minerals

• Other saponins and phytochemicals

The gypenosides have received particularly significant scientific attention.

Where Does Jiaogulan Come From?

Jiaogulan is native to regions of East and Southeast Asia and grows naturally in warm, humid environments.

It is particularly associated with:

• China

• Japan

• Korea

• Vietnam

• Thailand

• Other areas of Southeast Asia

Jiaogulan has a particularly interesting herbal history.

Unlike some famous Chinese botanicals with extensive documentation in ancient classical texts, jiaogulan's widespread reputation as a wellness tea developed largely through regional folk traditions, particularly in southern China.

Residents of certain regions traditionally prepared the leaves as an everyday herbal beverage.

Its reputation eventually contributed to colorful names such as “herb of immortality” and “Southern Ginseng.”

These names reflect traditional enthusiasm for the herb rather than evidence that jiaogulan extends human lifespan.

Modern interest grew substantially after researchers discovered the plant's unusual collection of saponins and began comparing some of its compounds with those occurring in Panax ginseng.

How Is Jiaogulan Used?

Jiaogulan has traditionally been consumed primarily as an herbal tea.

The leaves can be dried and steeped in hot water, producing a beverage that may have a mildly sweet, slightly bitter, or earthy flavor depending on the plant and preparation.

Modern jiaogulan products can include:

• Dried leaves

• Loose herbal tea

• Tea bags

• Powdered herb

• Capsules

• Tablets

• Liquid extracts

• Tinctures

• Standardized extracts

• Multi-herb wellness formulas

Jiaogulan is sometimes incorporated into botanical formulas designed around adaptogenic wellness, cardiovascular support, metabolic wellness, energy, and everyday vitality.

Different preparations can contain significantly different concentrations of gypenosides and other compounds, so research involving a standardized extract should not automatically be applied to an ordinary cup of jiaogulan tea.

What Are the Benefits of Using Jiaogulan?

Modern research on Gynostemma pentaphyllum has investigated numerous potential biological activities.

However, much of the evidence comes from laboratory experiments, animal studies, or relatively small human clinical trials.

Many proposed benefits therefore require additional confirmation through larger, well-controlled studies.

Traditionally Supports Energy and Vitality

Jiaogulan has traditionally been consumed as a tonic-style tea associated with energy, stamina, and everyday vitality.

This history contributed to its comparison with ginseng.

Unlike caffeine-containing herbs such as guarana, jiaogulan is not primarily valued as a stimulant. Instead, its traditional reputation is more closely related to general resilience and maintaining normal function during everyday physical and mental demands.

This has contributed to its modern classification by some herbal practitioners as an adaptogenic-style botanical.

The term adaptogen generally refers to botanicals used to support the body's ability to adapt to normal physical and emotional stress. Jiaogulan's adaptogenic reputation remains an area of ongoing scientific investigation rather than a formally established medical effect.

Supports Cardiovascular Wellness

Cardiovascular wellness is an important area of modern jiaogulan research.

Researchers have investigated Gynostemma pentaphyllum and its gypenosides in relation to blood lipids, vascular function, oxidative stress, inflammatory signaling, and other cardiovascular pathways.

Preclinical research has identified several potential mechanisms through which jiaogulan constituents may interact with cardiovascular physiology.

Some human studies have also evaluated jiaogulan-containing preparations in relation to cholesterol and other metabolic measurements.

Although these findings are promising, the available evidence is not strong enough to conclude that jiaogulan treats high cholesterol, hypertension, atherosclerosis, or cardiovascular disease.

For herbal wellness purposes, jiaogulan is more appropriately described as a botanical that may complement cardiovascular and circulatory wellness.

Supports Metabolic Wellness

One of the more interesting areas of human jiaogulan research involves metabolic health.

Clinical researchers have investigated Gynostemma pentaphyllum tea and standardized extracts in relation to glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, body composition, and other metabolic measurements.

A randomized controlled clinical study involving people with type 2 diabetes found that jiaogulan tea produced changes in certain blood glucose and insulin-sensitivity measurements compared with control tea. The researchers concluded that additional investigation was warranted.

Other research has examined a standardized Gynostemma extract in adults with overweight or obesity and reported changes in certain body-composition measurements.

These studies are scientifically interesting but should not be interpreted to mean jiaogulan treats diabetes or causes weight loss.

Diet, physical activity, sleep, genetics, medications, and numerous other factors influence metabolic health.

Provides Naturally Occurring Antioxidant Compounds

Jiaogulan contains gypenosides, flavonoids, polysaccharides, and phenolic compounds that have demonstrated antioxidant properties in experimental research.

Researchers have investigated how these compounds interact with the body's antioxidant defense systems and oxidative pathways.

Oxidative stress occurs when the production of reactive molecules exceeds the body's ability to adequately manage them.

Supporting normal antioxidant defenses is an important component of general wellness, but laboratory antioxidant activity does not establish that jiaogulan prevents or treats disease.

Supports a Healthy Response to Everyday Stress

Jiaogulan is frequently categorized alongside adaptogenic herbs because of its traditional tonic applications.

Researchers have explored gypenosides in experimental models involving stress responses, fatigue, nervous-system signaling, and physical endurance.

This has generated interest in jiaogulan for people seeking botanical support for resilience, balanced energy, and everyday stress management.

However, jiaogulan should not be described as treating anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, adrenal disorders, or other medical conditions.

Supports a Healthy Inflammatory Response

Gypenosides and other constituents from Gynostemma pentaphyllum have been extensively investigated in experimental studies involving inflammatory signaling pathways.

Researchers have reported interactions with several molecular pathways involved in normal inflammatory responses.

These mechanisms may help explain some of the herb's traditional applications and have contributed to continued scientific interest.

Most evidence in this area remains preclinical, so it is more appropriate to describe jiaogulan as potentially supporting a normal, healthy inflammatory response rather than as an anti-inflammatory treatment.

What Are Gypenosides?

The compounds most strongly associated with jiaogulan are gypenosides.

Gypenosides are triterpenoid saponins naturally occurring within Gynostemma pentaphyllum.

Researchers have identified a remarkably large number of these compounds.

Some gypenosides share structural similarities with ginsenosides, the famous saponins associated with Panax ginseng.

This chemical similarity is one reason jiaogulan earned the nickname Southern Ginseng.

However, the plants are botanically unrelated and should not be treated as interchangeable.

Scientists are investigating gypenosides for their interactions with:

• Oxidative pathways

• Inflammatory signaling

• Glucose metabolism

• Lipid metabolism

• Cardiovascular physiology

• Cellular signaling

• Nervous-system pathways

Much of this research involves isolated compounds or experimental models rather than whole-herb clinical trials.

Jiaogulan vs. Ginseng: Are They the Same?

No.

Despite the nickname Southern Ginseng, jiaogulan is not ginseng.

Jiaogulan is:

Gynostemma pentaphyllum

True Asian ginseng is:

Panax ginseng

American ginseng is:

Panax quinquefolius

Jiaogulan belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, while Panax species belong to the Araliaceae family.

Their similarities come primarily from their traditional tonic reputations and the presence of structurally related saponins.

Ginseng contains compounds known primarily as ginsenosides, while jiaogulan is particularly rich in gypenosides.

The two botanicals therefore have different phytochemical profiles and should be evaluated independently.

Jiaogulan and Healthy Aging

Jiaogulan's nickname “herb of immortality” has understandably generated interest in the plant and healthy aging.

There is no evidence that jiaogulan makes people immortal or dramatically extends human lifespan.

However, researchers are studying the herb in areas relevant to healthy aging, including:

• Antioxidant defenses

• Cardiovascular function

• Metabolic wellness

• Inflammatory signaling

• Cellular stress

• Physical resilience

These areas are relevant because maintaining cardiovascular, metabolic, and cellular health is an important component of healthy aging.

For responsible herbal wellness language, jiaogulan is better presented as a botanical that may complement an active, wellness-focused lifestyle throughout adulthood, rather than as an anti-aging treatment.

Scientific Research on Jiaogulan

Scientific research on Gynostemma pentaphyllum has expanded considerably because of the plant's diverse collection of gypenosides and other phytochemicals.

Researchers have investigated jiaogulan in relation to cardiovascular, metabolic, antioxidant, inflammatory, neurological, and immune pathways.

Human research is particularly interesting in the area of metabolic wellness.

A randomized controlled study investigated Gynostemma pentaphyllum tea in people with type 2 diabetes and reported improvements in certain glycemic measurements compared with control tea. These findings should be interpreted cautiously because they do not establish jiaogulan as a replacement for diabetes treatment.

Clinical researchers have also investigated standardized Gynostemma extracts in relation to body composition and metabolic measurements.

Meanwhile, extensive laboratory and animal research has examined gypenosides for effects involving oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, inflammatory signaling, cardiovascular physiology, and cellular pathways.

The overall research picture is promising but still developing.

Many studies use:

• Isolated gypenosides

• Concentrated extracts

• Animal models

• Cultured cells

• Relatively small human populations

Results from these studies cannot automatically be applied to ordinary jiaogulan tea or dietary supplements.

More large-scale, well-controlled human trials are necessary to determine which traditional applications have clinically meaningful benefits and what preparations and dosages are most appropriate.

Is Jiaogulan Safe?

Jiaogulan has a history of use as an herbal tea, but concentrated supplements may produce effects different from ordinary traditional preparations.

Reported side effects may include gastrointestinal symptoms such as:

• Nausea

• Stomach discomfort

• Diarrhea

Because research suggests jiaogulan may influence blood glucose, platelet activity, and other physiological pathways, additional caution may be appropriate for people taking medications that affect blood sugar or blood clotting.

People preparing for surgery should discuss herbal supplements with their healthcare provider.

Safety information during pregnancy and breastfeeding is insufficient, so concentrated jiaogulan supplements should not be used in these circumstances without appropriate professional guidance.

People taking prescription medications or managing diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, bleeding disorders, or other medical conditions should consult a qualified healthcare professional before using concentrated jiaogulan products.

Explore Herbal Wellness with God's Way Herbs

Jiaogulan demonstrates why traditional herbal knowledge and modern botanical science can be so fascinating. From its history as an everyday herbal tea to modern research into gypenosides, this unique vine continues to offer researchers new opportunities to understand the relationship between plants and wellness.

God's Way Herbs brings together carefully selected organic and wildcrafted botanicals in thoughtfully formulated herbal supplements designed to complement a wide range of everyday wellness goals.

Whether you're exploring herbs for adaptogenic wellness, natural energy, cardiovascular support, metabolic wellness, cognitive health, immune support, digestion, reproductive wellness, cleansing, joint and mobility support, or everyday vitality, discover botanical options designed to make traditional herbal wellness practical for modern lifestyles.

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References & Further Reading

PubMed — Gynostemma pentaphyllum Scientific Research

PubMed — Gypenosides: Phytochemistry and Biological Research

PubMed — Gynostemma pentaphyllum and Metabolic Health Research

PubMed — Jiaogulan and Glucose Metabolism Research

PubMed — Gynostemma pentaphyllum and Cardiovascular Research

National Library of Medicine — Gynostemma pentaphyllum Full-Text Research

Educational Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Traditional uses and findings from laboratory, animal, or small clinical studies should not be interpreted as established medical effects. Jiaogulan should not replace prescribed treatment for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or another medical condition. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before using concentrated herbal supplements, particularly if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medications, preparing for surgery, or managing a medical condition.