Artemisia annua vegetarian foods are "god" or a fool?

On October 22, 2015

Source: journal of science and technology

Tu won the Nobel Prize, "artemisinin" also became an overnight sensation. A shopping website, "artemisia annua bread" "dry wild a. annua" in "artemisinin" advertising of food, health care products to an uptick in sales. Please attention - artemisinin vegetarian foods are "god" or a fool?

On October 5, tu won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, let "artemisinin" fire. Some netizens joked, "was afraid that in a few days out things of artemisinin biscuits drinks lozenges". Recently, some media reported, a seller in a shopping website hit annua cake "Nobel Prize" of advertising, marketing of opportunity. Sales records showed that, as of press time, annua cake "Nobel" has been successfully sold more than 100.

Reporter type in "artemisinin" on the shopping website and found that in addition to "ACTS of bread", and "wild a. annua" "the original high purity artemisinin capsule" and so on in "artemisinin" brand of food, health care products for sale. Were almost neglected dry a. annua in October 5 has been successfully sell 28 in the future, a couple of days before there will be 1 transaction records of artemisinin capsule, with Nobel "dongfeng", almost every day clinch a deal the record, the total sales for decades.

Main food of the concept of "artemisinin" really worthy of the name? This kind of medicinal ingredients necessary to "eat"? Science and technology daily reporter to interview the food science, relevant experts in Chinese materia medica.

"Are rich in artemisinin is a marketing gimmick

Point into "artemisinin cake" page, the seller directly mark on the commodity name: "microblogging headlines hot style annua cake" Nobel Prize "are rich in artemisinin"; But looked from the introduction, this kind of cake advocate material is artemisinin or mugwort, bacon, glutinous rice powder, sugar and water, is actually the jiangnan traditional delicacies "qingming fruit".

Artemisinin, mugwort do really contain artemisinin BaBa? "ACTS, mugwort as raw materials is certainly not including artemisinin BaBa." Branch letter food and nutrition information exchange center, director of the department, nut shell food "talent" RuanGuangFeng told science and technology journal reporter in an interview. The original plant extract artemisinin is a. annua, mugwort and artemisia annua, compositae artemisia annua homogeneous, the plants of the genus artemisia look similar, is not easy to distinguish. RuanGuangFeng tells a reporter, causing the public to one of the reasons for this several plants of the genus artemisia cognitive confusion, or related to the plant classification. "' are rich in artemisinin 'propaganda just merchants to marketing gimmick."

Time, reporters once again check "artemisinin cake" commodity page, found that the seller has quietly pulled "Nobel" words "are rich in artemisinin", name of commodity became "peasant homemade artemisinin bread YiYeQing cake ". Reporter then asked the seller whether cake are rich in artemisinin, the seller did not respond.

Keeping in good health care efficacy is more "imagination and imagination"

To treat malaria, antitumor, antibacterial, anti parasite, enhance immunity, improve cardiovascular function, treatment of silicosis, lower back pain and antipyretic QuShu, cool blood back heat... In "high pure artemisinin capsule" and "wild a. annua" commodity introduction, you can see a lot of health care efficacy. Reporter with a sell online sellers "artemisinin capsule" in the process of communication, the seller more than once told reporters that "imports artemisinin capsule is the United States' Chinese god of medicine".

Drink with dry a. annua bubble boiled soup, eat artemisinin capsules, can really play the role? China institute of traditional Chinese medicine academy of sciences researcher Chen sl told reporters, the journal of science and technology of a. annua has qingrejiedu, indeed to hot and humid medicinal effect. With the boiled water, this is a private method, high temperature can really hurt most of a. annua leaves contain artemisinin active ingredients, but there are Chinese medicine tisanes "Fried" first "after" and so on the many kinds of decoction method. A. annua belongs to the aromatic herbs, need to "after", that is put in to boil away from the fire before medicinal materials into, so that the temperature will reduce a lot. If you take "after the" method of a. annua cooking water, there is some to hot and humid, the function of disease prevention.

"High pure artemisinin capsule" is import. Purdue university of agriculture and biology, food engineering, science writer cloud Dr Inadvertently said, "high pure artemisinin capsule" in the online shopping platform is sales in the United States, and more than one brand, but the manufacturers and sellers can only be "suggested" consumers, dietary supplements with this type of "from ancient China" have the magic effect such as anti-tumor, improve cardiovascular function - the "implication" is, in fact, U.S. producers propaganda tactic of dietary supplements, because according to the United States food and drug administration (FDA) certification rules, dietary supplement labels can not use the word "diagnosis, treatment or prevention of disease". "In fact, the main effect of artemisinin and treatment of malaria, to say the parasites, it is possible. As for the function such as antitumor, some scientists in the study, but the current research results are insufficient to as evidence to support these functions, and other such as back relieve back pain, cold blood heat, is basically belongs to the fantasy and imagination."

Eat "artemisinin health food" is not necessary to a normal person

Shopping website to buy, according to the evaluation of some consumers to prevent or treat malaria. Said Chen sl, food supplements should not be used to treatment efficacy, sellers such propaganda is illegal. If used in the treatment of artemisinin formulation, dosage should have strict rules, can only in a pharmaceutical factory production with drug approval. Cloud not intentional also stressed: "if caught malaria, should go to hospital for treatment. Because of modern medicine to treat malaria, not only artemisinin, a drug, but will be used with other drugs, such effect is better."

It is necessary to the normal "to eat" artemisinin? Shi-lin Chen told reporters that artemisinin on medicine is mainly used for treatment of malaria, normal completely not necessary in order to preserve one's health care to eat artemisinin. "' is a medicine three minutes poison", let alone artemisinin resistance may be produced." Prevention shi-lin Chen stressed that consumers want to distinguish the difference between the treatment drugs and tonic herbs, such as ginseng, astragalus, Chinese caterpillar fungus and so on have tonic effect, can be used as a health care food; The drug artemisinin belong to disease cure, have no disease don't go to eat. Cloud unintentionally, told reporters that as a kind of pharmaceutical ingredients, clinical trials showed that 3% - 4% of people taking artemisinin after will appear diarrhea, vomiting and other adverse reactions. As a kind of herbal medicine, normal person is much taking artemisinin supplements perhaps there might be the risk of liver damage.

Chinese nutrition society director, associate professor of China agricultural college food institute of nutrition and food safety zhi-hong fan in an interview with science and technology journal reporter also warns customer: "in our country, health care products production and sales to passed the approval of the state food and drug administration certification. Dietary supplement imports to the United States, these foreign nutritional health products in the domestic sales, also needs to have the state food and drug administration of the relevant license. To promote health care function, without approval of relevant products, be careful to buy, do not follow suit."