Chinese people have relied on plants for staying healthy and
treating illness for centuries.
Thousands of medicinal plants have been recorded in Chinese
medical literature from the earliest known Shennong
Bencaojing, a classic text on herbal medicine of the Han
Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), to the more contemporary Chinese
Materia Medica.
People's dependence on plants for medical interventions
continues today. Medicinal herbs are being accepted and used
increasingly by the general population as medicine or dietary
supplements.
Hongjingtian, or rhodiola crenulata, for instance, has been used
by the Tibetan people as a powerful revitalizer and medicinal agent
since the beginning of Tibetan civilization.
Known as "plateau ginseng," the plant grows on the Himalayas
more than 4,500 meters above sea level under extremely adverse
conditions, with dry air, insufficient oxygen, strong ultraviolet
radiation and a huge day-and-night temperature variance. Its
adaptability to its environment and its vitality are seldom found
in any other plants.
Over 1,000 years ago, Tibetan people had been known to make the
drink - by extracting rhodiola in water or wine - to overcome
fatigue from heavy physical labor and to boost energy levels so
they could complete extraordinary physical tasks.
Pharmacological experiments and clinical research show that
rhodiola is also an ideal herbal supplement for the modern
world.
The major agents in the plant are salidroside, tyrosot and
volatile oil, as well as 35 biologically active trace elements and
18 amino acids needed by the human body.
Since it can improve endurance and mental capacity, including
the memory, it is a superb tonic and energizer for those into
physical fitness as well as for those stuck behind a desk or at a
computer terminal for long periods of time.
In addition, the plant now has been used by people with
cardiovascular disease, pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia,
tracheitis, lung congestion and coughs.
Shaji, or sea-buckthorn (hippophae rhamnoides), is another
widely used herb in China which has proven health and nutritional
benefits.
Sea-buckthorn berries combine nutritious agents usually only
found separately. Its list of vitamin C, vitamin E and carotenoids
reads like the label on a pack of multi-vitamin pills. All of these
components are classified as natural anti-oxidants, which form a
vital part of the body's defence system.
Since the discovery of the nutritional value of sea-buckthorn,
hundreds of sea-buckthorn products made from the berries, oil,
leaves, bark and their extracts have been developed.
China has become one of the largest producers and consumers of
sea-buckthorn products in the world.
Fruit drinks were among the earliest sea-buckthorn products
developed in China. They have rapidly gained a reputation as both a
satisfying drink and a nutritional beverage that enhances stamina
and vitality.
(China Daily October 27, 2003)