Cistanche extract is rich in alkaloids, crystalline neutral substances, amino acids, trace elements, vitamins, and other components. It can nourish kidney yang, benefit essence and blood, inhibit the appearance of "yang deficiency" symptoms, and prevent weight loss. It can effectively prevent and treat kidney deficiency impotence, seminal emission and premature ejaculation in men, irregular menstruation, amenorrhea, and infertility in women.

1. Efficacy of Cistanche

Cistanche is one of the precious Chinese herbal medicines with a wide range of uses. It has been used as a strong and nourishing herb since ancient times. It has a history of more than 1,000 years. It has the reputation of "desert ginseng". Not hot, nourishing but not harsh, warm but not venting, so it is called calm." Cistanche deserticola is listed as the top grade by "Shen Nong's Materia Medica", which states that it is mainly used for "five labors and seven injuries, nourishing the middle, eliminating cold and heat pain in the body, nourishing the five internal organs, strengthening yin, benefiting essence, treating women's lumps, evening Take it lightly." It is a commonly used kidney-tonifying and yang-strengthening drug with definite efficacy and rare sources, and has always been regarded as a treasure in medicine. "Bielu of Famous Doctors" states that it can eliminate "bladder evil spirits, lumbago, and dysentery". "Zhen Quan Medicinal Materia Medica" has a record of "beneficiating the marrow, pleasing the color, treating bleeding in women, strengthening yang in men, greatly benefiting, and controlling redness and whiteness". It is recorded in the 2000 edition of "Pharmacopia of the People's Republic of China" that Cistanche "invigorates kidney yang, nourishes essence and blood, moisturizes and relieves constipation.

The unique medicinal value and clinical efficacy of Cistanche deserticola have always been a research focus of many medical workers. Especially in pharmacological research has obtained certain results. It has played an active therapeutic and healthcare role in many aspects of the human body. Studies have shown that Cistanche deserticola, Cistanche saline, and Cistanche tubulosum can significantly increase the weight of mice and significantly prolong the continuous swimming time. It can be seen that all three can promote the growth of mice and increase their anti-fatigue effects, and can also improve endurance of mice. Hypoxic capacity. The aqueous solution of Cistanche can significantly increase the propulsion of the small intestine of mice, significantly shorten the defecation time of mice, and also have a significant inhibitory effect on the water absorption of the large intestine, showing that Cistanche has an obvious laxative effect. The effect of Cistanche deserticola on the liver and cerebral cortex of the experimental mouse aging model was observed by radio lens. The results showed that Cistanche deserticola has good health care and therapeutic effects on the liver of the aging model.

1. Enhance immune function

       The effect of total glycosides of Cistanche on the function of T lymphocytes in mice injured by Co irradiation found that total glycosides of Cistanche (GCs) had an effect on the function of T lymphocytes in mice injured by Co radiation. The whole body of NIH mice was irradiated with 1Gy of Co once, and the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction, thymus index, T lymphocyte proliferation response, and IL-2 activity of the mice were detected. The results showed that after Co irradiation, the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction of mice could be significantly inhibited, the thymus index was reduced, the proliferation ability of T lymphocytes and the activity of IL-2 were significantly decreased, and GCs could enhance the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction of irradiated mice, Increase thymus index, enhance T lymphocyte proliferation response and IL-2 activity. Cistanche total glycosides have a strong protective effect on the function of T lymphocytes in radiation-damaged mice. The crude preparation of Cistanche deserticola can enhance the immune function, protect the blood system from damage, and can regulate the humoral immunity, cellular immunity, and non-specific immune function of radiation-damaged mice to varying degrees.

2. Tonify the kidney and strengthen the yang

        Cistanche deserticola is a precious tonic, which has the functions of tonifying the kidney, strengthening the yang, strengthening the liver and kidney, and replenishing essence and qi. Studies have found that the active ingredients in Cistanche tonify the kidney and strengthen yang are phenyl ethanol glycosides, such as echinacoside and eugenol glycosides. It works mainly in two ways; first, it enhances the function of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland, promotes the release of related transmitters and hormones in the body, and improves libido; second, it fights fatigue and improves body functions. The kidney-tonifying function of Cistanche desertica is different from that of general kidney-tonifying medicines such as Epimedium and Morinda Officinalis. It is not completed, so it has the title calm", which means calm and invigorating the kidney. Cistanche is suitable for both men and women, so it can treat impotence in men and infertility in women. Because of the exact tonic effect of Cistanche, it has become one of the most commonly used tonic medicines in the prescriptions of doctors in the past dynasties. The test results showed that the addition of alcohol extract of Cistanche deserticola, a traditional Chinese medicine for invigorating kidney and yang, to animals while using corticosteroids for a long period of time could prevent adrenal cortex atrophy caused by hormone alone. The alcohol extract of Cistanche deserticola has a certain protective effect on kidney function.

3. Enhance the body's anti-aging ability

       (a) Effects of Cistanche deserticola polysaccharides on brain neurons of aging mice

       Through the research on the morphology of neurons in the brain of aging mice, it was found that the polysaccharides of Cistanche deserticola had an effect on the cerebral cortex neurons of aging mice caused by ozone. Ozone significantly increased monoamine oxidase, lactate dehydrogenase, and lipofuscin in neurons in the cerebral cortex of mice, and thickened the vascular basement membrane. In the administration group, the MAO-B, LDH, and lipofuscin in the neurons of the cerebral cortex of the mice were significantly decreased, and the Nissl bodies and lysosomes were increased. Experiments have proved from the cellular level that Cistanche has anti-neuron damage and anti-aging effects on aging mice, and can improve the physiological and biochemical indicators of aging mice caused by ozone.

       (b) Effects of Cistanche deserticola polysaccharide on lung nitric oxide and apoptosis in aged mice

       The effect and mechanism of Cistanche deserticola polysaccharide (CDP) on cell apoptosis, nitric oxide (NO) content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in lung aging model were studied, and it was found that aging can cause the decrease of serum and tissue SOD activity, Elevated NO content can also induce lung tissue cell apoptosis. CDP can significantly increase the SOD activity of the body's serum and lungs, reduce the concentration of NO, significantly inhibit the apoptosis of lung tissue cells, reduce the number of cells, and reduce the percentage of apoptosis (APO). The results prove that CDP can improve or delay the degenerative changes of lung tissue cells in aging mice. Apoptosis studies have confirmed that Cistanche has anti-oxidation, anti-fatigue, and anti-aging effects.

  4. Protect the liver

       The study of the protective effect of Cistanche deserticola on liver oxidative damage in aging rats showed that during aging, the activity of SOD in cells, especially mitochondria, decreased, and the content of MDA increased. The active oxygen units (antioxidant capacity) in the liver tissue of aged rats were significantly lower than that of young rats, and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver mitochondria was significantly increased. Experiments have shown that the decline in Ca-ATPase activity in liver tissue of aging rats may also be the result of damage to cell membranes caused by oxygen free radicals leaking from mitochondria. Dysregulation of intracellular calcium homeostasis and decreased cellular calcium regulation occur during aging. The activity of the calcium pump in the cell membrane decreases significantly with age, and the ability to efflux Ca decreases significantly, resulting in an increase in intracellular free calcium and an imbalance in calcium homeostasis. Experiments have confirmed that the activity of Ca-ATPase in the liver tissue of aging rats decreased and the activity of PLA2 in liver mitochondria increased, indicating that the decrease in Ca-ATPase activity may increase the concentration of Ca in the cytoplasm, resulting in the increase in the activity of PLA2 in mitochondria. PLA2 is a key enzyme in many biochemical processes. It can hydrolyze its own phospholipids, increase the fragility of the mitochondrial membrane skeleton, and increase the release of arachidonic acid; at the same time, a large number of free radicals are generated, resulting in increased membrane permeability, a large influx of calcium ions, and further activation of PLA2 by calcium ions, thus causing a vicious circle.

       In addition, elevated PLA2 activity can alter the composition of membrane phospholipids, affecting membrane fluidity. At the same time, the products of PLA2 degradation of phospholipids can also damage the respiratory chain, affect oxidative phosphorylation and cause irreversible damage to mitochondria. PLA2 can also directly cause the decrease of proton transport ability across the inner mitochondrial membrane and the decrease of H-ATPase activity. PLA2 will cause the decline of mitochondrial function from different aspects and affect the normal function of the body. Experiments have shown that the water extract of Cistanche can improve the liver's antioxidant capacity and Ca-ATPase activity. Reduce liver mitochondria MDA content, and PLA2 activity. This may be due to the antioxidant function of Cistanche, which reduces the generation of free radicals, thereby reducing the damage of free radicals to liver tissue and mitochondria, thereby improving the liver's antioxidant capacity, reducing lipid peroxidation, and protecting Ca-ATPase from damage, ensure the activity of Ca-ATPase, maintain the normal level of calcium ion concentration inside and outside the liver cells, and avoid the increase of mitochondrial PLA2 activity due to intracellular calcium overload. Experiments have shown that the water extract of Cistanche has anti-aging effects by improving the antioxidant effect of the liver, reducing lipid peroxidation products, and reducing mitochondrial oxidative damage.

5. Antioxidant effect

       Cistanche deserticola extract significantly reduces the content of lipid peroxide (LPO) in the human body. Cistanche deserticola, Cistanche saline, Cistanche tubulosum, and Cistanche deserticola all had significant inhibitory effects on the production of LPO in rabbit blood and mouse liver, among which Cistanche saline had the strongest effect, followed by Cistanche tubulosum. Li Linlin et al. studied the antioxidant effect of phenyl ethanol total glycosides of Cistanche deserticola and found that it can significantly increase the activity of selenium glutathione peroxidase and SOD in mouse heart, liver, and brain tissue, and increase the activity of SOD in kidney tissue. , and reduce the content of LPO and lipofuscin in various tissues. Xiong Quanbo et al. reported that nine phenyl ethanol glycosides isolated from Cistanche deserticola had significant free radical scavenging activity and anti-lipid peroxidation effects, and found that the more phenolic hydroxyl groups in the molecule, the stronger the activity. It is speculated that the phenyl ethanol glycosides compound is the main active ingredient of Cistanche deserticola antioxidant.

 Part 2. Cistanche - suitable for the crowd

(1). Suitable for men with declining sexual function; women with irregular menstruation, infertility, cold limbs, sore waist and knees; frail elderly, hypertensive patients, and constipation. the

(2). It is contraindicated for those with strong fire, weak stomach, loose stools, and constipation due to excess heat. the

(3). Clinical research: It has a significant effect on patients with uterine fibroids.

Many people are not very familiar with the side effects of Cistanche, and many people are not very familiar with this kind of medicine. Therefore, when we buy it, we also need to have some understanding of it, so that when we use it, we can also use it. We all know how to choose the best, how to eat is not harmful to the health of the body, and we can choose it with confidence, so we must first understand it so that when we use it, we will also know how to use it. It is harmful to health, and everyone knows how to use it.