Fact & Figures

A famous saying on Hachijo Island is that “Ashitaba is a stomach medicine.”

Organic Ashitaba improves stomach and digestion health through its rich fiber content. An example is that Ashitaba contains twice as much fiber as spinach!

With its rich fiber content, organic Ashitaba is a natural remedy that:

• Benefits the digestive canal
• Relieves constipation
• Flushes out bacteria and toxins harmful to the body
• Helps to prevent large intestinal cancer
• Boosts metabolism, suppresses fat absorption, and aids in weight loss
• Prevents hyperlipidemia, stenocardia, and heart attacks
• Impedes absorption of bile acid
• Prevents gallbladder stones

Ashitaba also helps to relieve stomach ulcer issues. As a natural ingredient without side effects from chemicals, Ashitaba is able to reduce gastric secretion. This in turn increases the stomach’s efficiency, protects the stomach lining from being eroded by digestive fluids and prevents stress-affected stomach ulcers by up to 70%.

Since the two chalcones also possess antibacterial properties, organic Ashitaba can help heal gastric lesions. Research carried out by Dr. Yoshihiko Inamori of Osaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences showed how xanthoangelol and 4-hydroxyderricin inhibit the growth of straphylococcus aurerus and staphylococcus epidermidis, the two main bacteria that can aggravate gastric lesion infections.

Breakthrough research presented at a 1993 Pharmacology Forum in Japan reported that Ashitaba’s unique chalcone, xanthoangelol had the astounding ability to stunt HIV growth before it proliferates.

This anti-HIV activity is further boosted by Ashitaba’s high antioxidant content that simultaneously strengthens the natural immune system.

According to research by Dr. Naoru Fujita of the Osaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ashitaba’s unique chalcone xanthoangelol prevents blood platelets from coagulating. When blood platelets coagulate, blood become very concentrated and dense. This can lead to blood clots and resulting heart attacks.

Not only does xanthoangelol have anti-coagulation properties, but together with 4-hydroxyderricin, it also can prevent blood vessels from shrinking. Organic Ashitaba is therefore very effective in preventing high blood pressure, hypertension and heart diseases.

Scientists at the Biomedical Group of Takara Shuzo Co. Ltd have discovered that Ashitaba can stimulate natural production of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) inside the body. This is extremely valuable since NGF cannot be obtained by any type of injection or digestion.

NGF is a protein that helps neurons maintain connection with the brain, and thus has potential to alleviate Alzheimers and its symptoms.

NGF has also been reported in Neurology Journal to lengthen the lifespan of nerve cells and prevent neuropathy- the loss of sensations primarily in the feet common in diabetic patients. The stimulation of NGF could potentially prevent diabetics from undergoing amputation due to diabetes-related neuropathy.

Other breakthrough findings include the latest research by Biotechnology Chemical Department of Takara Shuzo Company that showed the chalcones of Ashitaba can prevent Alzheimer’s disease as well as nervous system disorders caused by diabetes through increasing the production of NGF inside the brain.

Boston Life Sciences has also demonstrated how NGF can re-grow axons within the optic nerve that have been damaged by glaucoma. The success to regrow this axons and neurons show great potential of treating glaucoma-related blindness.