Does Gynostemma pentaphyllum really have so many effects and functions?

Gynostemma pentaphyllum: First recorded in "Disaster Relief Materia Medica", it is the whole grass of Gynostemma pentaphyllum, a perennial herb of Cucurbitaceae. "Chinese Herbal Medicine Newsletter" said: "Anti-inflammatory and detoxifying, relieving cough and resolving phlegm, treating chronic bronchitis." Traditional Chinese medicine believes that Gynostemma pentaphyllum is cold, sweet, bitter and non-toxic, and enters the lung, spleen, heart and kidney meridians. Has the effects of invigorating qi, invigorating spleen, clearing away heat and toxic materials, reducing blood lipid and relieving fatigue.

Modern medicine believes that the disorder of lipid metabolism is one of the important causes of atherosclerosis. Because lipids cannot exist in plasma alone, they need to be transported by combining with apolipoprotein, so the change of plasma lipoprotein content actually reflects the metabolic changes of plasma lipids. Among them, the proportion of various lipoproteins, especially the proportion of high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low density lipoprotein is particularly important.

According to literature [5][6][7], Gynostemma pentaphyllum contains more than 80 kinds of saponins, many of which are the same as ginsenoside, and also contain flavonoids, sugars, amino acids, vitamins and trace elements. Gynostemma pentaphyllum extract is a bioactive component extracted from the whole plant of Gynostemma pentaphyllum, mainly Gynostemma pentaphyllum saponin, which has a good effect on regulating blood lipid.

Experimental studies have confirmed that [8][9]: Gynostemma pentaphyllum total glycosides can significantly reduce blood total cholesterol and triglycerides, and at the same time significantly increase the ratio of high density lipoprotein and HDL/LDL, thus reducing the number of foam cells in aortic plaque and lipid deposition sites, preventing atherosclerosis and lipid metabolism disorder. Yu et al. [10] also observed that Gynostemma pentaphyllum can obviously reduce cholesterol and triglyceride and increase high density lipoprotein, and can obviously improve clinical symptoms without obvious toxic and side effects. Zhang Weiping [1 1] found that Gynostemma pentaphyllum can not only inhibit the increase of triglyceride in high-fat animals, but also significantly reduce cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and very low-density lipoprotein, increase high-density lipoprotein, increase HDL/LDL, and reduce whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity, thus significantly improving hyperlipidemia.

Simple words:

Pharmacological and clinical studies show that Gynostemma pentaphyllum is almost non-toxic and has no side effects.

(1) has anticancer effect and can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells such as liver cancer, lung cancer, uterine cancer and melanoma.

(2) anti-aging, can enhance the body's immune function;

(3) Hypolipidemic effect; (4) Prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid side effects.