Cistanche tubulosa is a plant that is found in desert areas. It doesn’t have roots or chloroplast, which means that it cannot photosynthesize. In China, Cistanche tubulosa is a rare species which is found in deserts and is used as a pharmaceutical agent to treat Alzheimer’s disease. It is categorized as a food, after the debate on food/pharmaceutical classification in Japan.
It belongs to Orobanchaceae plant family, to which even the old Cistanche salsa belongs to. According to the Chinese Pharmaceutical Dictionary, Cistanche salsa smoothens the intestine, increases the renal function and sexual power. But in the recent times, Cistanche salsa being a valuable crude drug, has become extinct. They found the new species called Cistanche tubulosa which belongs to the same family and has similar functions to that of Cistanche salsa. So, pharmaceutically it replaced the old Cistanche salsa.
Through joint research, it is found that Cistanche tubulosa extract may prevent brain and skin aging, increase the sexual power and can be responsible for fat metabolism activities.
Statistics:
Per 100,000 people, Okinawa has 51 people aged over 100 and Hotan has 183 such people. People of the Hotan region eat Cistanche tubulosa daily and this habit is believed to be the key of people’s life expectancy.
- Cistanche tubulosa extract is utilized to keep sexual health optimal.
- Cistanche tubulosa extract is used to treat digestive issues such as constipation.
- Cistanche tubulosa extract helps to improve immunity.
- Cistanche tubulosa extract assists with healthy menstrual cycles.
- Cistanche tubulosa extract has an anti-aging effect by inhibiting an activity of species related to oxygen family.
- Many Cistanche species are utilized in formulas related to tonify the kidneys.
Echinacoside which is one of the major components of Cistanche tubulosa is used to save fibroblasts in human beings. It protects damaged fibroblasts by controlling levels of reactive oxygen species. Cistanche tubulosa, which contains more amounts of Echinacoside is also responsible for this activity.