Health Benefits of Cistanche

The benefits of Cistanche include significant heart health support, brain health support, and longevity and anti-aging support.

We get a lot of questions about the anti-fatigue, anti-aging, antidepressant, neuroprotective, heart health, and digestive support properties of Cistanche tubulosa herbal extract. We also get lots of comments and emails about the beauty of this stunner of a Mongolian plant.

Here, I’ll highlight some of the benefits of Cistanche extract, which may help explain why it is quickly becoming a global favorite.

What Is Cistanche?

Cistanche is a native medicinal herb that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds if not thousands of years. Cistanche was originally recorded in the Classic of Herbal Medicine, a revered text on medicinal plants written between about 200 and 250 AD. The text calls Cistanche an herb that can regulate “five (viscera) strains and seven (overeating, anger, moisture, cold, worry, wind and rain, and fear) impairments.”

Another name for Cistanche is Rou Cong Rong. Linden Botanicals calls Cistanche “Methuselah’s Breakfast,” a nickname that is becoming widely known for the plant. Remember Methuselah? The Bible says he lived until the ripe old age of 969, making him the longest-lived human. We like to call Cistanche Methuselah’s breakfast. Cistanche extracts are traditionally used to fight aging and increase longevity.

Since ancient times, Methuselah’s Breakfast was taken to clear the mind and enhance cognitive ability. In addition, the benefits of Cistanche include anti-aging properties that may increase stamina and aid healthy sexual performance. Today, Cistanche is quickly gaining popularity due to the wide range of potential health benefits it offers.

Heart Health Benefits of Cistanche

Regular consumption of an herbal tea made from Cistanche extract has been used to provide effective support for people with heart conditions. Cistanche protects the cells of the heart and stimulates the production of natural antioxidants.

Cistanche is considered to be a “yang invigorating” tonic in traditional Chinese medicine. Yang tonics enhance mitochondrial functional and antioxidant capacity. Mitochondria play a crucial role in energy metabolism. Improving mitochondrial function is beneficial to anyone looking to improve endurance or reduce fatigue. Studies have demonstrated that the extract can reduce muscle damage and improve ATP (cellular energy) storage.

In short, the benefits of Cistanche include helping to maintain healthy metabolic function. It is often used to help prevent fatigue and increase energy.

Cistanche herbal extract may also improve the heart rate at a cellular level by controlling the contraction of the heart muscles. Once absorbed in the bloodstream, the extract may increase myocardial Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) generation capacity. Increased generation of ATP improves the heart contractile function. This facilitates a regular heartbeat, helping to prevent any cases of difficulty in breathing.

Moreover, Cistanche has cardioprotective properties that protect the mitochondria in the heart cells due to the plant’s ability to enhance mitochondrial glutathione status.

Other Benefits of Cistanche

Anti-Fatigue Benefits: Cistanche extract has anti-fatigue, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties. These properties are responsible for its ability to provide cardio-protection and possibly reduce oxidative stress or any other factors that can inhibit apoptotic pathways. Its bio-activities include significant anti-fatigue activity.

Digestive Health Benefits: Cistanche may help alleviate depression symptoms by restoring gut microbiota homeostasis. To learn more about the digestive health support properties of Cistanche, check out our GUTSY FAQ.

Cognitive Health Benefits: Due to its neuroprotective properties, Cistanche has the potential to enhance learning and memory capabilities. Its adaptogenic, anti-inflammatory and neurotrophic properties work in concert to help activate brain cells and improve memory power as well as the physical state of the body.

Cistanche extract has even shown positive effects in supporting the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. To learn more about the nootropic brain health potential of Cistanche, review our BrainStorm FAQ.

Antidepressant Benefits: A recent study in Frontiers in Pharmacology suggests Cistanche extract demonstrates antidepressant-like effects on chronic stress. The study addresses the health benefits of the extract, including its antidepressant-like effects through its ability to restore gut microbiota homeostasis.

Aphrodisiac Effects: One of the most commonly recognized benefits of Cistanche is its aphrodisiac properties. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has long recognized it as a potent sexual tonic. Some studies have suggested that Cistanche may enhance sexual function by promoting the production of nitric oxide, a compound that helps relax blood vessels and increase blood flow.

Learn More About Cistanche

There is good reason to believe that a good life-style related approach that ensures optimal health can be enhanced by frequent consumption of Methuselah’s breakfast. The extract is sold in packs ranging from 100 to 1000 grams. Linden botanicals got you covered.

Cistanche extract is also included as one of five herbal extracts included in our CardiAce Heart Health Support Kits. The other extracts include Astragalus, Angelica (Aralia elata), Hawthorn berry (Crataegus monogyna), and Dan Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza). To learn more about the health benefits of Dan Shen, a good place to start is with the CardiAce FAQ.

Curious about the anti-fatigue, anti-aging, antidepressant, neuroprotective, heart health, and digestive support properties of Cistanche herbal extract? A good place to start is with the Cistanche FAQ and the CardiAce FAQ.

Cistanche Extract from Linden Botanicals

We sell Cistanche in a 100 gram size (50 servings) as OOMPH! Energy Support. We also sell Cistanche in larger 200 gram to 1,000 gram sizes. In addition, Cistanche is one of the healthy extracts in our CardiAce Heart Health Kits, GUTSY Digestive Health Support Kits, and BrainStorm Nootropic Brain Health Kits. You can check out these options by visiting our online store.

For each of the products we sell, company owner Michael Van der Linden and members of our team do substantial research, visit the source, and meet with the collectors and processors personally. We back up our faith in our source and our processors with testing.

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