Is Jiuxincai and Sanqi the same plant?

The Chinese botanical name of Jiuxincai is Feicai; modern domestic Chinese herbal medicine books and journals introduce its scientific name as Jingtian Sanqi or Tu Sanqi. This plant is native to East Asia and is distributed in the Northeast, North China and East China regions of our country, generally growing in shady, damp places such as mountain slopes at forest edges and under valley forests. So is Jiuxincai really Sanqi?

1. Is Jiuxincai Sanqi?

Jiuxincai belongs to Jingtian Sanqi and is not the same as what we usually call Sanqi. It is a perennial herb of the genus Sedum in the family Crassulaceae under the class Dicotyledoneae, with a short rhizome and thick stems that can reach 50 cm in height, whereas what we usually call Sanqi refers to a perennial upright herb of the genus Panax in the family Araliaceae under the class Dicotyledoneae. Although both bear the name Sanqi, they are not the same. In addition, Jingtian Sanqi is distributed relatively more widely in our country than Sanqi; basically every province in our country has a distribution of Jingtian Sanqi, but Sanqi is mostly distributed in Yunnan, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Sichuan and other places.

Jingtian Sanqi contains rich medicinal components such as alkaloids, oleanolic acid, sitosterol, flavonoids, sedoheptulose, fructose and vitamins. Through pathways such as preventing vascular sclerosis, lowering blood lipids, dilating cerebral blood vessels and improving coronary circulation, these medicinal components achieve effects of lowering blood pressure and preventing stroke and heart disease (such as coronary heart disease, paroxysmal tachycardia, arrhythmia, rheumatic heart disease, etc.). This is also the main origin of its name Jiuxincai.

2. Components and effects of Jiuxincai

Eating Jiuxincai is very beneficial to the human body; the edible parts are the seedlings or tender stems and leaves of the Crassulaceae plant Jingtian Sanqi. Modern pharmacological research has confirmed that Jiuxincai has the effect of preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases; has a bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect; has the effect of regulating blood pressure and blood lipids; has the effect of regulating autonomic nerve function and improving sleep; and has the effect of protecting the liver, etc.

The above is some little knowledge about Jiuxincai. Although Jiuxincai has many effects and functions, its effects are limited, so do not be too superstitious about it and stop taking medication.