About Herbs

Bottom Line: Despite the anecdotes from Hawaii about this plant being able to lower cholesterol, there is no scientific evidence that it works.

Cholesterol spinach (also known as dawn dewa, Mollucan spinach) is a plant originally cultivated in Nepal that has received much attention lately for its use in Hawaii as a cholesterol-lowering nutritional supplement. Despite the excitement over this plant, there is no scientific evidence that explains why it might work to lower cholesterol. It has not been tested in animals, but a related species of plant was found to reduce blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides when fed to rats with diabetes. However, scientists are not sure that this related species would have the same biological effects as cholesterol spinach, so these results cannot really be applied to what effects cholesterol spinach might have in the human body.

No laboratory, animal, or clinical research has been performed with this plant to test the anecdotal claims of its cholesterol-lowering potential.

Dawn Dewa, Leaves of the Gods, Googoolipid, Mollucan spinach

Native to Nepal, cholesterol spinach is a hardy, fast-growing plant and is related to Okinawan spinach. It has gained popularity in Hawaii based on the anecdotal evidence of its cholesterol-lowering effects ⁽¹⁾. 
A plant of the same genus as cholesterol spinach lowered cholesterol and triglyceride levels in diabetic rats ⁽²⁾, but cholesterol spinach has not been studied so far.

No mechanism of action has been reported, although a study of an extract of related Gynura procumbens showed reduced serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in diabetic rats. G. procumbens did not affect cytochrome P450 activity. Whether the effects or mechanism of action of G. procumbens are related to those of G. nepalensis has not been determined.
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Immunocompromised patients should be cautioned when consuming raw vegetables due to possible contamination.
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