Ashitaba

Ashitaba is a lush green plant that has its origins in the northern Japanese island of Hachijo where the warm tropical currents pass by on their way North to meet the cold Arctic waters of the Pacific. Its name means “tomorrow’s leaf,” aptly termed due to its ability to reproduce its green stem and leaf almost on a daily basis, exhibiting a strong energetic life force or Qi.

Ashitaba’s scientific name, Angelica Keiskei Koidzumi, comes from the Latin name for “angel,” most likely due to its “heavenly”, well known health benefits that have given it such notoriety. The inhabitants of Hachijo Island are well known for their longevity, having some of the longest life spans on earth (i.e. many commonly live well into their 90’s in good health). Ashitaba has been an integral part of their diet for hundreds of years.

The oldest written record of the benefits of ashitaba appear to be more than 2,000 years old. Of the many thousands of known plants, ashitaba belongs to the elite 1% category called “medicinal plants.” In China, ashitaba has had a long history of use to purify the blood, detoxify the liver, cleanse the colon, improve lung function, enhance blood circulation, improve nerve dysfunction, and relieve muscle and joint pain.

From the Ming Dynasty to the Shogun warriors, the ashitaba plant traveled from China to Japan and was a well guarded secret of strength and longevity for hundreds of years among the elite classes of society. In traditional Chinese medicine, ashitaba is considered a superior, strengthening yin tonic. It has a wide range of known, health-promoting benefits. It provides immune system stimulation, promotes healthy function of the stomach and intestines, demonstrates specific anti-viral and anti-bacterial activity and reduces inflammation.


Ashitaba


Ashitaba has been used in China for centuries for a number of medicinal purposes including relief of muscle and nerve discomfort. In recent studies, Ashitaba has out-performed other herbal supplements including green tea , for anti-oxidant potential according to the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) guide. It possesses phenolic compounds active as an Anti-Oxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Tumorigenic, Anti-Carcinogenic , Anti-Microbial and Detoxifier.

Other studies show it helps cleanse the blood, regulate blood sugar levels (anti-diabetic action), promote healthy cholesterol levels (decreasing unhealthy LDL cholesterol), stimulates the production of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) for excellent nerve function, suppresses cell growth abnormalities such as tumors (as seen in cancer), helps decrease high blood pressure, remove toxic wastes from the body, aids natural sleep cycles, improves visual acuity and provides peri-menopausal relief. An interesting side benefit many users of ashitaba have reported their skin feels smoother and much healthier