Herb library · Herb · Gynostemma pentaphyllum
Jiaogulan
A climbing plant drunk as an herbal tea in China and Southeast Asia, and sold for cholesterol, blood sugar and stress. Reviews of mostly Chinese trials suggest effects on blood fats and blood sugar, but the evidence is of low certainty.
Traditional use
Widely consumed in Asia, and counted in China among the plants that are both food and medicine; it is also a traditional herb in Vietnam and is grown for herbal tea in Thailand. In Chinese medicine it is used for diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and liver scarring, and it is sold as a tea and as extracts.
What studies show
- Limited
Cholesterol and blood fats: a 2022 review of 22 trials (2,407 people) found effects on blood fats similar to some lipid-lowering drugs, but rated that evidence very low certainty; red yeast rice did better in the comparisons made.
- Limited
Blood sugar: a 2026 review of 8 studies (584 people with diabetes) found lower fasting blood sugar and HbA1c. The review does not report their quality in its summary. An earlier small trial in Vietnam (24 people, 12 weeks) found a much larger drop with the tea than with a placebo tea.
- Limited
Stress and anxiety: one 2019 trial of 72 stressed adults found an 8-week leaf extract lowered one anxiety score more than placebo, with no difference on the other scales measured.
Be careful of
Cautions
- ConditionIt may lower blood sugar. If you have diabetes or take diabetes medicine, talk with your clinician before using it.
- NoteA 2025 case report describes a severe drop in platelets in a woman who had taken it for over three months, which recovered after she stopped. If you bruise or bleed easily, stop and see a clinician.
- NoteIn trials it had fewer side effects than cholesterol drugs, and use for more than 8 weeks appeared safe, according to the 2022 review.
- NoteContamination: a Thai study found high cadmium in jiaogulan tea plants grown on soil fertilized with pig manure. Buy from a seller who tests for heavy metals.
- PregnancyThe sources read here give no safety information for pregnancy or breastfeeding. Talk with your clinician first.
- Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.
Sources
- Gynostemma pentaphyllum for dyslipidemia: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- Efficacy and mechanisms of Gynostemma pentaphyllum as a medicine food homology herb in glycemic control: a meta-analysis with review (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- Supplementation with extract of Gynostemma pentaphyllum leaves reduces anxiety in healthy subjects with chronic psychological stress: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- Antidiabetic effect of Gynostemma pentaphyllum tea in randomly assigned type 2 diabetic patients (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- Concentrations of Trace Elements in Organic Fertilizers and Animal Manures and Feeds and Cadmium Contamination in Herbal Tea (Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- A Case of Thrombocytopenia Caused by Gynostemma Pentaphyllum (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
Reviewed September 25, 2026.