Word is spreading in the health food industry about andrographis. Although new to the United States, this traditional herb has a long history of use in China, India, and other countries in subtropical and southeast Asia. Andrographis has been used for decades as a primary herb for the winter season.A History of Traditional UseAndrographis paniculata is commonly used in China, India and various Southeast Asian countries. Both the fresh and dried leaves, as well as the fresh juice of the whole plant have been used in a variety of traditions. Andrographis is known as chuan xin lian in traditional Chinese herbalism, where it is believed to affect the digestive, cardiovascular and urinary systems. It is commonly used as a wintertime herb.BiochemistryThe key constituents of andrographis are thought to be a group of diterpene lactones, including andrographolide, neoandrographolide, deoxyandrographolide, and deoxydidehydroandrographolide.The Full Spectrum™ DifferenceFull Spectrum Andrographis combines andrographis extract standardized to 10% andrographolide, with whole leaf. Taken twice daily (the suggested dosage), this product provides the amount of andrographis found effective in clinical trials. The combination of standardized andrographis extract with whole herb offers a Full Spectrum of the beneficial constituents of the plant. |
