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When it comes to herbs for body nourishment, most would think of Chinese herbs, such as ginseng or cordyceps. Nevertheless, there are many other nourishing herbs from China, India (various spices) and even Thailand. Recently, there have been more studies and researches on Thai herbs, in particular their scientific properties, mechanism and active substance. This article will help you gain a better understanding about these outstanding herbs for body nourishment.
1. Ginseng has been considered a legendary elixir in Asia for thousands of years, especially Korean ginseng which has heat properties that is suitable for those with Chi deficiency (lower Chi and blood in the body), in particular people who are weak, are easily tired and cold, have cold hands and feet, are often sick, as well as have pale tongue and lips. In addition, Korean ginseng is also suitable for those with anemia. There are two types of ginseng, white ginseng, which is fresh ginseng that has been cleaned and dried, and red ginseng, which is white ginseng that been through a heating process to enhance the medicinal properties, which results in the roots turning a reddish-brown color and are slightly moister. Red ginseng is considered to have the most potent medicinal property and is more expensive than white ginseng.
HYFRGTM Fermented Red Ginseng (Advanced Nutraceutical Pte Ltd. /Singapore) is a Korean red ginseng extract fermentedwith enzyme and lactobacillus which contains variousginsenosides that the body can easily and largely absorb,and hence providing the highest bene t. This group ofginsenosides includes Rh2, Rg3, C-K and PPD, among others. The C-K (Compound K) is a substance found only in red ginseng extract that has been fermented. Bene ts of this substance include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, protects the skin, prevents allergies and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as promotes male libido.
2. Cordyceps is a type of fungus (mushroom) found naturally in the highlands of Tibet and Nepal during spring. According to traditional Chinese medicine, cordyceps mushrooms helps nurture two important organs, namely the kidney and lungs. The key substance is cordycepin which helps nourish the kidney, stimulates blood circulation, helps maintain the cholesterol balance in the arteries, prevents heart diseases, nurtures the lungs, trachea and larynx, helps control diabetes, and improves libido. Given these properties, it was dubbed “an herbal treatment for hundreds of fatigue conditions”. However, because of its rareness, the herb is rather expensive. Nevertheless, cordyceps can now be cultivated, giving everyone the opportunity to have access to it. Cordyceps sinensis (Aloha Medicinals, Inc./USA) is a genuine Tibetan cordyceps mushroom, grown in the same environment as that found in nature, that is in a low oxygen and temperature condition. It is also USDA Certified Organic.
3. Dong Quai is an herbal medicine famed for its property as a blood tonic, and is sometimes called “female ginseng”. The root of the herb, which has a pleasant fragrance and a slightly bittersweet and spicy taste, is used. Dong Quai has many important substances, such as alkyl phthalides, terpenes,
ferulic acid and essential oils, among others. Ligustilides is the substance that improves blood quality, and is therefore, used to treat late or missed menstrual cycles, light menstrual blood flow or pale menstrual blood. It also has the property of dissolving blood clots which helps enhance blood circulation, reduces menstrual cramps, rebalances female hormones, relieves fatigue or exhaustion and also helps prevent inflammation.
4. Green tea is a widely popular herb. In the past, adults were the main consumers of green tea, in particular hot green tea. Nowadays, however, green tea comes in a variety of forms, for example, ready-to-drink products, ice cream and snacks, in order to make it easier to eat/drink. Nevertheless, whatever form the green tea is in, the beneficial substance in green tea is a group of polyphenols named catechin. Catechins found in green tea include Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), Epigallocatechin (EGC), Epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), Epicatechin (EC), Catechin and Gallocatechin (GC). EGCG has the highest content and is a highly effective natural antioxidant, 25-100 times more effective than vitamin C and vitamin E, it also helps reduce the cholesterol level as it stimulates lipid oxidation which causes adipose tissue metabolism. EGCG also reduces platelet adhesion which causes atherosclerosis and ischemia, and is thus suitable for elderlies with cerebral ischemia or Alzheimer. In addition, EGCG can also stimulate the immune-cell production system, relieve inflammation and mouth infections, as well as cures bad breath.
Green Tea Extract (90TVP 40EGCG) (Hangzhou Choisun Bio-Tech Co., Ltd./ China) is a green tea extract which has high EGCG content of 40%. It is water and alcohol soluble, which results in a yellow-brown solution, and can thus be applied in many products, such as beverages, various forms of supplements and cosmetics.
5. Curcumin that has typically been used to treat constipation or bloating has currently gained a lot of interest as studies found that the yellow-orange substance in curcumin called curcuminoid can inhibit oxidation reactions, has potent anti-in ammatory properties, and can help prevent cancer. Moreover, the curcuminoid in curcumin can also help prevent memory impairment in patients with Alzheimer by inhibiting beta-amyloid production and inhibiting acetylcholinesterase which helps prevent acetylcholine in the brain from being damaged.
NovaSOL® Curcumin (Frutarom/Switzerland) is a solubilized curcumin extract with a micelle structure making it both water and oil soluble, heat resistant, and can tolerate a wider pH range of 1.1-8.0 and can, therefore, be used in many types of products. Furthermore, bioavailability clinical tests on 24 subjects found that 1 gram of NovaSOL® Curcumin is bioequivalent to 180 grams of standard curcumin extract, which indicates that the body can better utilize benefits from NovaSOL® Curcumin than from other curcumin extracts.
These five ultimate herbs not only nurture the body, but they also have the property to prevent various sicknesses as well. Going forward, everyone should start taking care of their own health by eating healthy foods that contain these ultimate herbs, such as ginseng/cordyceps chicken soup, chicken biryani, yellow curry, khao soi or hot green tea, as well as exercise regularly. Once you do that, you will always feel strong and refreshed.