Ashitaba and the Heart

Why do the Chinese rarely have heart attacks? Traditional Chinese Medicine has used herbs with several key ingredients to maintain blood pressure and to strengthen arteries and the heart thus preventing devastating heart attacks and avoiding the side effects and damage to organs associated with blood pressure medicines. 

The French Paradox. The French eat a diet much higher in saturated fats than Americans. Yet the French are less likely than Americans to die of coronary heart disease. This has been termed the "French Paradox." Initial research into this phenomenon has shown the antioxidants (flavonoids) contained in red wine inhibits the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, interrupting the first step of atherogenesis. More recent studies have shown ashitaba antioxidant (chalcone) to be more potent than those in red wine and green tea. 

Ashitaba is beneficial to the heart due to the antioxidants(chalcones) it contains. Ashitaba purifies the blood which lowers blood pressure. This is aided by its diuretic qualities. As we get older the blood gets sticky and dirty due to the toxins. Purifying the blood lets the blood flow more easily thus lowering the blood pressure. The B 12 found in ashitaba helps build new hemoglobin (red blood cells) allowing more oxygen in the blood and better cell functioning in all organs and muscles including the heart - keeping it strong. Other compounds in ashitaba can stimulate Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) which is essential in the development and survival of certain neurons in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. These compounds also aid in increasing the nerve's message conductivity. See also blood purification and preventing disease.

Research on Ashitaba and the Heart:

Artery Relaxation by Chalcones Isolated from the Roots of Angelica keiskei Pharmacology Planta Med 2001; 67: 230-235 DOI: 10.1055/s-2001-12011

Four papers on Reduction of blood pressure and LDL cholesterol.

"Flavonoids are scavengers of free radicals...It is possible that quercetin and other flavonoids reduce the rate of formation of oxidised LDL and thus inhibit the growth of atherosclerotic plaques." Hertog and Feskins wrote in Lancet (Oct. 23,1993;342:1007-11).

Effects of angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitor from Ashitaba (Angelica keiskei) on blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Shimizu E, Hayashi A, et al., J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 1999 Jun;45(3):375-83.




Reference:

• Ashitaba Green

Goodness of Ashitaba

WHAT IS ESPECIALLY GOOD ABOUT 

JAPANESE ASHITABA PLANT?

Japanese Parsley (locally known as ASHITABA) is recommended for all men and women of all ages, especially has been used as traditional herbal formulation for treating the following disorders:

•    Improve immunity systems.
•    GI tract disorders, Acute gastritis, chronic gastritis.
•    Hlorhydria, stomach cancer, duodenal ulcer.
•    Descensus ventricle, gastric atonia, chronic enteritis.
•    Carcinoma and Melanoma.
•    Chronic hepatitis, Blood Cleansing.
•    Diabetics and Insulin Diabetic dependent.
•    Hyperglycemia, Normalizing of Sugar Level in the Blood.
•    Asthma and common colds.
•    Cell reproduction, Cell Revival.
•    High blood pressure, Vascular augmentation.
•    Anemia.
•    Chronic Fatigue Hangover.
•    Increase in Production of sperm.
•    Shoulder Stiffness.
•    Laxative, Diuretic, Neurosis.
•    Hemorrhoids.
•    Relieving of menopause and PMS symptoms.
•    Ageing of skin, beautiful skin complexion.

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT ASHITABA?

ASHITABA (Japanese Parsley sometimes known as Japanese Dong Quai) is a unique strain of celery-like vegetable, acts as immune system stimulant, which has inhibited the growth of unhealthy cell mutation.  It helps to maintain the healthy function of the intestines and stomach, while also possessing possible anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti- acidic agents. 


In addition, ASHITABA has a warming effect on the uterus, which assists in relieving menstrual pains.

Medicinal Value of this plant

While the plants of the specie of Angelica family have a 2,000 year long history in China and Japan as medicinal herbs, this ASHITABA strain is superior to all of them, including other ASHITABA plants gown off the island.

The oldest written record of the medicinal value of ASHITABA appears in a Chinese book listing the medicines that are derived from grass. The book was first published during the Ming Dynasty and was written by Dr. Lee during his lifetime from 1518 to 1593 AD. This book was then transcribed into Latin, English, German, Russian and became internationally famous as a publication on Oriental Medicine. The book was later brought to Japan in 1606 and presented to the Shogun by a Razan Hayashi.
ASHITABA contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, proteins and plant fiber. The leaves and stems are used to extract a yellowish liquid from the plant.

ASHITABA (Japanese Parsley)

(ASHITABA – “King of Vegetables” and 

“The Leaf of Tomorrow”)

Japanese ASHITABA from Hachi Jo Island survives on volcanic rocks and soil with very high salinity environment. Its Botanical name is Angelica Keiskei Koidzumi. It is reputed by its name of tomorrow's leaf or weed. It was named for its ability to reproduce green stems and leaf almost on a daily basis. 

Japanese Parsley is a herbaceous plant that grows year round. This greenish yellow vegetable has been mentioned in many ancient Japanese Medical Writings. It has been consumed as a vegetable and medicine for many 100’s of years by the local island herbalists.

Reference:

• Ecellgen

ASHITABA vs Gynura Procumbens

A lot of articles have been circulating around the internet claiming Gynura Procumbens to be Ashitaba plant, though both herbs are beneficial to the health, Ashitaba and Gynura Procumbens are of two different types.

Ashitaba

Their leaves might be the same but a closer look would prove it otherwise.

The ridges of the leaves are more pronounced in Ashitaba plant than in Gynura Procumbens.

Ashitaba

To the untrained eye, both plants may look similar and often people will mistook one from the other, not to mention, there are those who are writing articles and/or selling these plants in its 'wrong' name, giving the person who bought the plant the wrong knowledge and a misconception on the beneficial effects of the plant.

So here we will give you enough knowledge to go around on these plants.


As this blog is focused on Ashitaba, this article will discuss more on information about Gynura Procumbens.

Gynura Procumbens

From the pictures alone, you can already tell the difference on the shape of the leaves ...yah?

Gynura procumbens is believed by the Chinese to be one that possesses the ability to lower blood pressure and sugar levels. Usually will recommend to eat 3 – 7 leaves daily in the raw form, 5-8 leaves per meal is enough.      

The leaves have a mild raw taste which makes it quite easy to consume.

To date, there had been a limited number of scientific studies done on this herb. A Singapore study that used diabetic rat models showed that an alcoholic extract of Gynura procumbens was able to reduce elevated blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while another study by a Korean group of researchers reported that this herb possessed anti-hypertensive properties in a rat model.

Gynura Procumbens, an herbal treatment of eruptive fever, rash, kidney disease, migraine, constipation, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and cancer. <source>

Gynura procumbens 

Besides the above medicinal properties, according to the Plant Resources of South East Asia (PROSEA), this plant is also used in Africa, where the boiled leaves are applied externally to relieve general body pains and raw leaves for rheumatic pains. Dried and pounded leaves are mixed with oil and applied as a poultice to treat skin compliants. It also used for the treatment of kidney problems and dysentery.  


Gynura procumbens is generally regarded to be a relatively harmless herb to consume. In fact, in Java Indonesia, the young shoots of this plant are eaten raw as a vegetable. Singaporeans may find it more palatable if the leaves have been blanched in hot water before consumption.

This plant grows easily from stem-cuttings. Seeds are not available. It is best grown in well-draining, fertile soil that is kept moist at all times. Semi-shade is preferred by this plant although it can be slowly adapted to grow in full sun, provided the plant does not dry out at the roots. Initial planting under direct sunshine will result in burnt leaves and stunting in growth. Growth should resume once the plant has acclimatised to its new growing conditions.

Gynura procumbens

Gynura procumbens grows as a scrambling perennial plant with stems that can extend to 6m long if left to grow. The fleshy leaves are bright green that are rather smooth to touch. The shape of leaves can vary depending on the growing conditions and they can range from roundish to ovate in shape but are all shallowly toothed at the margins.

In shade, they are darker green and appear rather flat but under direct sun, the two sides of each leaf may develop a slight V shape along the mid-rib and take on a lighter green colour.

                      Gynura Procumbens

Sambung Nyawa (Leaves Of The Gods)

In Malay its called : Sambung Nyawa, 

Scientific name      : Gynura procumbens.

Other names           : Daun Dewa, Leaves of the Gods, Googoolipid,                 Mollucan Spinach,Sam Akar, Akar Sebiak, Kelemai Merah and Bai Bing Cao

Hope we clarified the confusion on that matter. Know your herbs :)

The Properties and Therapeutic Uses of Ashitaba

The Therapeutic actions of Angelica Keiskei Koidzumi or Ashitaba in terms of Traditional Chinese Medicine as practiced currently in the People's Republic of China. 

One of the fundamental actions of Ashitaba is that it is great at activating Qi and Xue (Blood). The application for this is apparent in the treatment in the menstrual problems. It removes stagnation in the uterus, which will help with many menstrual difficulties. It also increases blood flow (activates Qi and Blood). This herb, which can be used by it self alone, increases Kidney Yin and Yang Qi.

The increase of the Kidney Yang Qi will act as a diuretic and increase the urine output. In Japan, Ashitaba is used to treat hypertension. As a diuretic it has no side effects such as western medicines frequently have. It increases the libido (sex drive) for those persons with Kidney Yang Xu (deficiency). In terms of the increase in Kidney Yin Xu (deficiency), this herb is wonderful in treating the problem of Peri- menopause.

With a Kidney Yin Xu (deficiency) one of the cardinal symptoms in women is irregular or no menstruation. The usual four to six years of peri menopause that women in their middle forties to early fifties in age experience could be made much more comfortable with the use of Ashitaba. Because this herb warms the uterus, it is very useful in treating menstrual cramps and pain, regardless of the age of the patient.

Ashitaba is a useful Lactagogue, that is, an agent which induces the secretion of mother's milk. There is anecdotal evidence from Japan of a cow that was fed Ashitaba and had record milk production. By analogy, Ashitaba could be used with mastitis or low milk production after delivery.

Ashitaba harmonizes the spleen and stomach. It helps to balance the Earth element. There is a patient in Texas that has Insulin- Dependent Diabetes that is currently taking the herb. He says that he now has to use less Insulin because his blood sugar no longer spikes with attacks of Hyperglycemia. Another Diabetes patient in Japan took Ashitaba for six months and his blood sugar level droped from 400 mg./dL to 150 mg./dL. Dr. Baba at Osaka University School of Pharmacy has published a paper showing the decrease of the rate of acid production in the stomach with Ashitaba. In her paper he also showed a decrease in the severity of stress related to stomach ulcers. The extract of Ashitaba or Angelica Keiskei Koidzumi also exhibited an anti-bacterial action.

Research in Japan has shown that Ashitaba has anti- viral properties. At a 1993 Pharmacology Forum in Japan, it was reported that Ashitaba demonstrated antiHIV activity.

The Active Factors in Ashitaba

Chalcones are the active factors in Angelica Keiskei Koidzumi. The two that are in Ashitaba are known as Xanthoangelol and 4- Hydrooxyderricin. These were discovered by Dr. Baba. These factors are found only in this strain of Angelica and are derived from the yellowish liquid extract of the leaves and stems. This differentiates it from any other strain of Angelica.

How to Use Ashitaba Plants

By Victoria Weinblatt

Ahitaba (scientifica name: Angelica keiskei), was discovered in Japan in the Longevity Islands. This Asian herb is a type of Angelica and belongs to the celery family. It is also known as Chinese Angelica, or Dong Quai. The use of the Ashitaba plant dates back to the Ming Dynasty (circa 1518-1593). It is easy to identify the Ashitaba plant by its yellow sap.

Instructions

1   Dry your Ashitaba plants to make tea and capsules. Pull the entire plant from the soil or take clippings and allow the plant to continue growing. Hold the Ashitaba upside down and tie the stems together with any kind of string. Use a foot of string or more so you can hang the bunch up to dry. Hang the Ashitaba upside down on a nail or hook away from the sunlight. The time it takes to dry is dependent on humidity conditions. One week or less is usually sufficient.

2 Use the stems and leaves of your dried Ashitaba plant to make a tea. Break up the Ashitaba into pieces suitable for tea. Put the dry leaves and stems in a plastic bag suitable for food, place a thin dish towel over the bag and roll a rolling pin back and forth about 10 times. You want the consistency to be like loose green tea, not a powder but pieces that are small enough that you can easily measure them with a scoop. You may need to cut the stems with a scissors. 

Measure out approximately one teaspoon and put it into eight to 12 ounces of freshly boiled water. Allow the Ashitaba to steep for three minutes or more. You can eat the Ashtitaba or make the tea using a tea ball

3 Use your Ashitaba plants as a healthy ingredient in soups. Add one fresh Ashitaba leaf or shoot for every two cups of soup. Remove the leaves from the plant by pinching them with your fingernails or using scissors. Wash the leaves thoroughly in cold water and then dry them by laying them out on a towel for about five minutes. Using a knife or scissors, dice the leaves into small pieces. Stir the Ashitaba leaves into the soup at the end of the cooking process so they do not impart a bitter taste to your dish. Another idea is to add them as garnish before the soup goes to the table.

4 If your Ashitaba plant is small, you can harvest the leaves individually rather than clipping an entire stalk. To harvest your Ashitaba plant leaf by leaf, choose mature leaves from the base of the stem or shoot. The mature leaves contain more of the active ingredients than the new shoots.

Read more: How to Use Ashitaba Plants | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5675823_use-ashitaba-plants.html#ixzz1Pu1SPcqf

 

 

"You are what you eat."

As the Baby Boomers age, many are finding their health, vitality and healthcare costs are not as they would desire. Most health conditions can be alleviated through diet, without the side effects associated with drugs but most people are unaware that the choice exists.

Leave your drugs in the chemist's pot if you can heal the patient with food. - Hippocrates 

 

"The U.S. has the most drug use of any country, yet in terms of longevity, the people in 17 countries in Europe and Asia live longer.

Prescription drug use in Europe averages about 46% less than in the U.S. In Japan, it is almost 80% less; and in China, nearly 95% less. However, the use of natural medicines is proportionally higher in Europe and Asia, with the Japanese and Chinese nearing total devotion to medicines derived from plants."

 Source: Gero Vital International

He that takes medicine and neglects diet, wastes the skill of the physician. - Chinese Proverb 

 

"In rural China, doctors are paid only when you are well. If you get sick, you don't pay them. As you can see, they have a vested interest in keeping you healthy. That is probably the reason the Chinese live longer and are healthier. Too bad we don't have that system here." - Ibid.

Western science is now investigating plants for their medicinal uses, though often with the mindset of extracting a compound from which to make a drug instead of looking at the whole plant and the interaction of the nutrients.

"Let food be thy medicine and let medicine be thy food." - Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine (460-377 B.C.) 

 

 Chinese Nutrition differs from Western nutrition in that it does not talk about the biochemical nature of food. Rather, Chinese Nutrition deals on an energetic level to which BALANCE is the KEY.

Overeating is a very common imbalance which causes many diseases. By slowly chewing one's food properly, the body will tell you when to stop. Slow eating with a relaxed mind is essential to good digestion and assimilation of nutrients.

Nutrition, Health and the Environment were studied, under the direction of T. Colin Campbell of Cornell University, of 6,500 people from 65 counties across China from 1983 - 1988 and published in 1990 as "Diet, Lifestyle and Mortality in China" . The results suggested that the healthiest diets in the world contain a minimum of 80 - 90% plant foods. Those in the countryside who get only 10 - 15% of their calories and 7% of their total protein from animal products had lower incidence of heart disease, colon cancer, and osteoporosis. The study showed that when the rural dweller moved to the city and adopted the city lifestyle and higher fat diet (30%), the diseases increased.

When diet is wrong medicine is of no use.
When diet is correct medicine is of no need.
- Ancient Ayurvedic Proverb 

The Western approach to diseases is to kill the bacteria and suppress the symptoms, thus driving the disease deeper into the body. The Chinese way supports the body with tonifying foods or herbs to reinforce the body's healing energy. Remember that "The BODY is the BEST HEALER."

Prevention of Disease

The use of herbs as food has a long history in China. The first Chinese Materia Medica was written 3000-4000 years ago, categorizes herbs into three groups. 

The first group was called "food herbs", which were eaten as a part of the diet for nourishing, health maintenance and disease prevention. These herbs were called immortal foods - producing effects that rejuvenate health, prolong life, restore youth, and increase mental clarity. Ashitaba belongs to food herbs that can be used over a long period of time to preserve good health. 

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - Henry de Bracton 

_________________

 

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause & prevention of disease."

     - Thomas Edison - 

Why DETOXIFY?

"People on the standard diet consume an average of a pound of inorganic toxins per year, this in the form of food additives, drug residues, and indigestible foods. Environmental and work hazards merely add to the toll on the liver."

      

Source: - www.kitchendoctor.com/

          (see also Dr.Anderson's statement below regarding the liver and cleansing)

Toxins exist everywhere and can lead to serious health problems. They are in food and the environment, and persist because of our insufficient metabolic ability to rid the body of all that we are exposed to on a daily basis. They can drain the body of energy and make one more susceptible to disease and infection. Toxins tend to concentrate in the liver and gastrointestinal tract, both places responsible for eliminating toxins from the body.

Through detoxification, we clear and filter toxins and wastes and allow our body to work on enhancing its basic functions.

Our body handles toxins by neutralizing, transforming, or eliminating them. As examples, many antioxidant nutrients may neutralize free-radical molecules. The liver helps transform many toxic substances into harmless agents, while the blood carries wastes to the kidneys; the liver also dumps wastes through the bile into the intestines, where much waste is eliminated. We also clear toxins through sweating, from exercise or heat. Our sinuses and skin may also be accessory elimination organs whereby excess mucus or toxins can be released, as with sinus congestion or skin rashes, respectively.

The average diet which tends to be high in sugars and refined products and low in fiber contributes to the build up of "mucoid plaque" along the gastrointestinal tract.  

This  "mucoid plaque " prevents proper digestion, and as a result a large percentage of people are suffering from malnutrition no matter how much they eat, or how nutritious the food is. 

Fiber is very important in the process of elimination of wastes from the bowel and a lack of fiber can lead to muscles of the colon wall losing their tone which can result in IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome now affecting one in five Americans) and diverticulitis.

The liver is one of the main keys to good health and vitality. Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic Traditions has long recognized this importance. There are over 500 known functions of the liver, many of which are essential for life, all of which are essential for good health and vitality. It is almost impossible for any disease condition to develop until the liver becomes sluggish and weak. The average person is using only 40% of the liver's capacity.

Ashitaba has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to strengthen the liver and kidneys, reduce congestion in the liver and purify the blood - enhancing the body's own ability to heal itself. 

 _____________________________________________

Dr. Anderson has explained in his new books, "Cleanse & Purify Thyself Book One" and "Cleanse & Purify Thyself Book Two," that: "The digestive system is the hub of the entire body. It feeds all our glands, organs and in fact, every single cell. When the digestive system becomes sluggish, over-acid, and toxic it becomes less and less efficient. After the bowel becomes unnaturally acidic, it attempts to protect itself by secreting a glycoprotein substance that lines the entire intestinal wall, 'mucoid plaque.' Indeed, this condition can occur anywhere in the digestive tract where over acidity arises, including the esophagus, the stomach, the entire small intestine and colon. Once this develops, proper digestion becomes more and more dysfunctional. Then one problem occurs after another, and the bowel becomes a toxic sewer system. Once the bowel becomes toxic, the blood becomes toxic, for all the blood coming from the bowel, carrying the necessary nutrients to feed the heart, lungs, brain, muscles, etc. goes to the liver - nowhere else.

Then the liver must deal with the toxic blood. After years of relentless toxicity from the bowel, the liver becomes more and more sluggish. After a while it no longer functions efficiently and toxic overloads begin to go to other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, heart, brain, joints, skin, Lymph, etc. Disease manifests where the toxins settle. For when there is toxic settlement, there is lack of circulation, lack of oxygen and nutrients."

Is Ashitaba Safe?

Ashitaba is a natural Green Whole Food , not medicine. So you can drink as many cups of Ashitaba tea as you would any other tea. You can include Ashitaba as an ingredient in your diet as you would any other herb or vegetable. The body will then take the nutrients it needs to restore or maintain a healthy balance.

Ashitaba Ice cream

The Japanese eat the leaves raw or cooked, make Ashitaba tea by pressing the leaves, sprinkle finely ground Ashitaba powder over a variety of foods like yogurt, and include the powder as a healthy, functional ingredient in products like baked goods and noodles.

Ashitaba Vegetable Sesame Bowl

 

Originally, the Japanese treated Ashitaba leaves like other greens, such as kale, eating them raw or cooking them in various dishes. “Then they started looking at its nutritional profile,” says Hackel, President and CEO of Japan Bio Science Laboratory—USA, and found that it was quite high in a number of important nutrients. That’s when they started making Ashitaba powders. Ashitaba contains, per 100 grams of raw leaf: 65.0 mg calcium, 5.3 grams fiber, 1.0 mg iron, 3,700 µg beta-carotene, 2,100 µg vitamin A, 0.1 mg vitamin B1, 0.24 mg vitamin B2 and 55 mg vitamin C. Research has demonstrated a range of heath benefits associated with ashitaba intake, including visceral fat reduction, improved fat metabolism, improved glucose tolerance, lower blood pressure, improved circulation, higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, lower triglyceride levels and decreased inflammation, among others.

Ashitaba steamed

 The whole-leaf Ashitaba powder has a pleasant, green, vegetative, mild flavor with a touch of sweetness—and it’s 100% powdered Ashitaba leaf, nothing is added. "You could just pick up a leaf off the ground and pop it into your mouth, and it tastes good,” says Hackel. However, the chalcone powder (30% ashitaba sap and 70% branched cyclodextrin) is quite bitter and requires judicious use of flavors and masking agents.

Ashitaba Tempura

 Ashitaba use has been shown to be SAFE, as there are no side effects.

However it should be noted that few individuals, may have a Herxheimer reaction when first starting the use of Ashitaba. This is actually good. This is the process of detoxification in action.

For most individuals, any Herxheimer reaction could be readily described as causing "flu-like" symptoms or it may cause a rash. It may last as long as two weeks.

Increased water intake with fresh lemon juice added to the water will usually help alleviate the symptoms faster. Another alternative is to reduce the amount of ashitaba intake and build the body's tolerance, then slowly increase to the desired level of intake.

Ashitaba Stimulates Nerve Growth Factor (NGF)

NGF is a protein essential in the development and survival of certain neurons in both the central and peripheral nervous systems.

This protein is expected to be effective in preventing and treating Alzheimer-type dementia and diabetic peripheral neuropathy and as yet cannot be manufactured. However NGF-production enhancers such as ashitaba can pass through the blood-brain barrier to work in the brain and increase the NGF concentration.

NGF delays, prevents or alleviates Alzheimer-type dementia

NGF alleviates peripheral neuropathy

 

(a common neurological disorder resulting from damage to the peripheral nerves, which originate from the brain and spinal cord) - a common side affect of diabetes.

Rats were fed a diet containing 1% Ashitaba dry powders (estimated dose: 750 mg/kg/day) for four days. The rats showed as high as about 20% increase of NGF concentration in the gastrocnemial muscle compared to animals given a normal diet.

Other notes about NGF:

• NGF plays an important role in the smooth transition of signals along the nerves and from cells to cells. Imbalance of these signals contributes to the growth of cancers, inflammation, hyperresponsiveness, and airway inflammatory diseases such as asthma.  

• In 2005, Italian scientists at Pavia University found that when people first fall in love they have high levels of the nerve growth factor (NGF) [that "honeymoon glow"], but these levels return as they were after one year.

• NGF may also play a role in relieving depression. 

 

 The scientists have demonstrated the possibility that dementia and peripheral neuropathy can be prevented by taking medicinal foods such as Ashitaba daily.

* http://www.takara-bio.com/news_e/2001/07/17.htm (5,756 bytes) 17 July, 2001

Ashitaba Antioxidants Better than Green Tea

 We have all been hearing recommendations that we should drink green tea due to the level of anti-oxidants it contains and that anti-oxidants are beneficial to the body as they help eliminate free radicals and help prevent cancer.

Ashitaba can help you Slow Aging and stay young and healthy with supple and wrinkle free skin.

It is an natural Whole Food, a green leafy vegetable, containing antioxidant flavonoids and rich in amino acids, vitamins and minerals, chlorophyll, enzymes and fiber. It is good for vision, can lower cholesterol, is also a potent cancer fighter, and more.

The chalcone in ashitaba is a very potent antioxidant and an effective blood purifier. Antioxidants protect the cells from the free radical damage that can cause cell mutation. By controlling free radicals, aging can be prevented at the cellular level where the aging process begins. Cellular health is an important factor for healthy tissues and the efficient function of organs. These factors can result in an extended life span.

ASHITABA- BETTER THAN GREEN TEA

Ashitaba (Angelica keiskei koidzumi) was listed as the most popular green food in Japan, [Ca Functional Foods] and contains potent antioxidant chalcones (Xanthoangelol and 4-hydroxyderricin). Numerous research studies to assess the properties of Ashitaba chalcones and their therapeutic uses have been performed in Japan, China and Korea revealing powerful anti-tumor (inhibiting skin and lung cancer),¹ anti-thrombus, ² anti-bacterial,³ anti-viral, anti-inflammatory,⁴ anti-mutagenic,⁵ and anti-ulcer⁶ properties. These chalcones also prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol⁷.

The purpose of this study is to compare the antioxidant value of ashitaba with green tea, and to see what quantity has practical use for health maintenance. The following test was conducted by Linda Hayano, of Natural Health & Wellness Farm, CA, and Dr. Andreas Sterner of Analytik Jena USA, Inc. TX.

This confirmed that the water-soluble antioxidant chalcones in ashitaba are indeed better than those of green tea (epigallocatechin), and therefore also better than those of soy, citrus fruits and red wine based on the studies of hops in beer by Oregon State University researchers [Buhler, Miranda,]. Their study also found chalcone in beer is such a trace element one would need to drink 120 gallons of beer daily to gain any benefit in comparison to only 1.5 - 2.0 grams of Ashitaba Green Dry Vegetable daily to achieve the same kind of result.

Other compounds in Ashitaba are:

Coumarins:

psoralen, imperatorin, columbianagin, isorhazelpitin, rhazelpiton, selinidin,

4-hydrodexydelisin glycosides: isoquercitrin, ruteorin, angelic acid, bergapten,

Melatonin, Germanium,

Vitamins & Minerals:

Vitamin A, B, B2, C, B12, carotene, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium and Fiber.

Ashitaba has been used in Japan for many centuries with no side effects.

---

¹ [Kimura Y, Baba K Ehime University], [Okuyama T, Takata Meiji College of Pharmacy], [Akihisa T, Tokuda H, Nihon University]
² [Wang X, Wei L LEMTA]
³[Inamori Y, Baba K Osaka University]
⁴ [Miranda, C.L, Oregon State University]
⁵ [Baba, K. Osaka University] [Dimmock JR, Elias DW University of Saskatchewan]
⁶ [Fujita T, Sakuma S Osaka University]
⁷ [Ogawa H, Nakashima S Kinki University School of Medicine, Osaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences] [Rodriguez RJ, Miranda Oregon State University]