When Man appeared more than 3 million years ago, he began to use plants but not only as food. He discovered the benefits of plants after trial and error. These different benefits were discovered slowly. His observations linked to experience taught him to diagnose, to find the right plants for the treatment and finally cure illnesses

Nowadays, progress in biochemistry, in organic and pharmacological analysis, as well as plant physiology have led to a better comprehension and rationalization of the effects of certain plants, enhancing certain ancestral uses of plants. Traces of ancestral use of medicinal plants were discovered in the Chinese, Indian and Aztec civilizations. The first book on medicinal plants called «Treaty of Medicinal Plants» was written by Emperor Shen Nung, the Shen Nung Ben Cao Jing around 2850 BC. The Chinese were probably the most skillful with medicinal plants.

On this page, we would like to show you the benefits and the active principles of the plants used as a base for our Hao Pi products.

Ivy Extract: (Hedera helix) :
Hedera helix extract is an extract of the stems and leaves of the ivy, Hedera helix. It is classified as a biological product and is used as a miscellaneous skin-conditioning agent. It is also known as ivy extract. When used topically in cosmetic and skincare products, it has a decongesting, as well as toning effect and also acts as a penetrating medium. Not only does it help boost the blood circulation, but it also tones and tightens the skin, while helping to remove waste products and fatty build-ups. The active ingredients in ivy, including the saponosids, help other ingredients in a product to be absorbed by the skin. They also help the lipids (fatty contents) stocked in the adipocytes (fat cells) to go back into the blood stream and to be either used as a source of energy or be eliminated. The saponosids are natural surfactants, which help relieve congestion in the lymphatic system and make lipids soluble. They will therefore improve the elimination of cell metabolism residues and wastes.

This plant has great anti-fungal, anthelmintic, molluscicidal, antimutagenic, as well as cellulite control properties. Topical applications of ivy-based products are indicated for use in anti-cellulite and weight loss preparations and their emollient and itch-relieving properties are indicated for use in skincare products.

In ancestral remedies, the ivy plant has become known as a herbal ingredient for treatment of cellulite and is included in anti-fat remedies and treatments. The active ingredients are the triterpenic saponins, which are found in all parts of the plant. The hederin (hederine) is also an active saponin, and is responsible for blood vessel protection and decreases permeability, while helping to reabsorb the edemas.

Ginkgo biloba :
Ginkgo biloba leaf extract is an extract of the leaf of Ginkgo biloba. It is classified as a biological product and is used as a miscellaneous skin-conditioning agent. It is also known as extract of maidenhair. The therapeutic properties of this herb in skin care is that of being a vasodilator, increasing circulation, improving sebaceous secretions, decreasing capillary hyper-permeability, improving tissue irrigation and activates cell metabolism (especially in the cortex, by increasing glucose and oxygen uptake). It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic properties.

It furthermore increases the creation of fibroblast, collagen and extracellular fibronectin, (Kim, S. J.," Effects of Flavonoids of Ginkgo biloba on Proliferation of Human Skin Fibroblast", Skin Pharmacology," 1997;10:200-205) while also exhibiting good anti-oxidant qualities. (Planta Medica, April 2002, pages 316-321.). This ingredient is excellent for aging and rejuvenating skin care, especially because it stimulates the formation of fibroblast and collagen - both required if you are looking to achieve a smooth and healthy young-looking complexion.

Green Tea Extract (Camelia sinensis) :
Green tea slows down the absorption of fats and regulates glucose. The same substance, cathechin polyphenol, restrains the transition of glucose into fats. By doing that, experts believe that green tea is an effective glucose regulator. It effectively prevents insulin spikes and slows the rise of blood sugar after every meal. Insulin, as specialists agreed upon, promotes the storage of fats as it deals with the body’s blood sugar. Green tea has the ability to reduce appetite. Because green teas have regulating effects on the blood sugar, people who drink it are observed to eat food as much as 60 % lesser than usual.

In a study reported on in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was found that green tea extract resulted in a significant increase in energy expenditure, plus also had a significant effect on fat oxidation. While some of the effects were originally theorized to be due to the caffeine content of green tea, the researchers discovered that the tea actually has properties that go beyond those that would be explained by the caffeine. The same amount of caffeine as was in the green tea, administered alone, failed to change energy expenditure in other studies. This led researchers to believe that there is some interaction going on with the active ingredients of green tea that promotes increased metabolism and fat oxidation.

The researchers indicated that their findings have substantial implications for weight control. A 4% overall increase in 24-hour energy expenditure was attributed to the green tea extract, however, the research found that the extra expenditure took place during the daytime. This led them to conclude that, since thermogenesis (the body's own rate of burning calories) contributes 8-10% of daily energy expenditure in a typical subject, that this 4% overall increase in energy expenditure due to the green tea actually translated to a 35-43% increase in daytime thermogenesis.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) :
When this "other part" is a vitamin, it's called a Coenzyme. Co Enzyme Q10 has a similar structure to vitamin K, and it acts as a catalyst in various chemical reactions that leads to the production of energy - namely ATP.

Your body stores enough ATP that will sustain rigorous activity for 5 to 8 minutes, and ATP must be constantly produced. For this to happen, your body needs good supply of CoQ10. The heart and the liver contains the highest level of CoQ10 in the body. Quoting Dr. Stephen Sinatra, a cardiologist, "If there is just one thing you do to help maintain your heart's health, make sure you're taking CoQ10 daily."

CoQ10 can help weight loss because it helps stimulate the body's metabolism. Since CoQ10 assists in the production of energy by the cells, a deficiency may contribute to lower energy levels in an individual as well as a potential lowering of bodily metabolism. It also seems to improve the efficiency of the immune system and also increase the strength of the heart muscle. It appears to lower blood pressure, and treating several of these conditions at once would possibly help someone to enter into or sustain a weight loss program, and perhaps even enhance the results of a diet or weight loss program.

Black cumin essential oil (Nigella sativa) :

Comun name :
Nigella sativa, fennel flower, black caraway, nutmeg flower, Roman coriander, or black onion seed.

Main components :
Essential oil, oil, saponosids, minerals, and amino acids

Part used :
The seeds.

Description :
Black cumin is an annual grassy plant. It grows to 30 cm tall, with finely divided, linear (but not thread-like) leaves. The flowers are usually colored pale blue and white. After blossoming the fruit is a large and inflated capsule composed of 8 segments, each containing black angular seeds.

Coming from Asia minor, black cumin is cultivates in Northern Africa, the Middle East and Southern Europe. The medicinal plant cultivated in Egypt in the Arabic desert is the best quality. It has been used for centuries as a spice and for its therapeutical benefits, its oil is particularly appreciated for its appeasing properties for skin care. The first cold press oil is a very rich natural substance containing more than a hundred active ingredients (mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, essential oils and minerals).

The oil used by the ancient Pharaohs :
During the reign of the Pharaohs, the Egyptian used it as a universal cure and as an essential ingredient for all kinds of recipes. When the tomb of Tutankhamen was discovered, archaeologists found a phial containing black cumin oil which was most likely used to soften the pains of after life. It is a well known fact that both Cleopatra and Nefertiti used the soothing oil.

In a book on the Soul healing called the Canon of Medicine written by the doctor and philosopher Ibn Sina in the 10th Century, black cumin oil is often referred to as a natural cure due to varied and various active ingredients. The prophet of Islam Muhammad (570-632 after J.C.) gave black cumin oil eternal fame in his famous book "Hadith" by using the words: "Black cumin oil heals all diseases except death.".

Bamboo vinegar :
Contained in the patches as a dehydrated distillate, it helps draw out toxins through the skin. An Asian research showed that trees (and more particularly bamboos) can purify large quantities of water drawn by its roots and produce sap with no alien molecules (approximately three liters of chemically pure water per day for a 30 meter high bamboo).

The production of bamboo vinegar was essentially developed in Japan. The vapors that come off the heated bamboos are cooled and condensed. The wood vinegar is extracted from this material which is then distilled to eliminate tar and other unwanted elements. A pale yellow liquid is obtained which is aged for one year and condensed five times. After the first extraction, the extract is then dried for six months before it is considered good enough to be used in the production of the SANOTOX patches.

La Tourmaline :
According to an ancient Egyptian legend, Tourmaline comes from very far away, from the center of the earth to the sun, “along the rainbow”. This explains why it is sometimes called “the rainbow stone”. Tourmaline's specificity is that it emits a far infrared radiation similar to the frequency of the water contained (70%) in the cells of the body. This frequency ionizes and activates the molecules and provokes the elimination of foreign molecules (toxins, chemicals, heavy metals...)

Niwa Institute for Immunology, Japan.
Int J. Biometeorol 1993 Sep; 37(3) 133-8.

In 1986, a Japanese research center discovered that even after fine grinding, there is still one positive electrode and one negative electrode at the end of each Tourmaline crystal and that this feature does not disappear even at very high temperatures (above 1000°C). Furthermore, when the tourmaline crystals are connected one to another, a low intensity current flow is observed (0.06 mA).

The infrared radiation emitted by Tourmaline is close to (in wave length) those emitted by the Sun. When the infrared radiation emitted by the Sun penetrates the skin, the cells absorb the energy and start resonating: this phenomenon called «resonance-absorption» provokes an increase in temperature: I'm in the Sun – I'm hot.

The same phenomenon «resonance-absorption» takes place in reaction to the infrared radiations emitted by Tourmaline. The energy emitted by tourmaline helps the cells to get rid of foreign molecules that are clogging them up.

Each SANOTOX patch contains 20% Tourmaline. The external film on the patches is gold-leafed to intensify the concentration of the far infrared radiations towards the foot and increase their efficiency.

Chelation :
Chelation (pronounced key-LAY-shun, from the Greek khêlê : "claw") is a physico-chemical process during which a compound , chelate, is formed binding an agent called chelants, chelators, or chelating agents to a metal, therefore called a chelate complex. The chélate complex is different from a simple one in that the metal is held tightly to the chelating agent by at least to molecular bonds, like a claw – origin of the name (the central atom is bound to the neighboring atom by at least two molecular bonds forming a ring-shaped structure). Several solutions are of course available some are natural while others are exclusively chemical.

Humic substances :
In nature this is the most often found form of organic carbon. Most humic substances chemically combine with inorganic components (such as clay and oxides), while a small portion is dissolved by soil liquids especially under alkaline conditions. One of the main characteristics of humic substances is the ability to form complexes, whether soluble in water or not with metallic ions, oxides and clay minerals.

Aiken and his collaborators give the following definition to this substance: „Humic substances are naturally occuring biogenic, heterogeneous substances, of high molecular weight that are isolated from the environment and are defined by solubility.”

Aiken, G., D. McKnight, and R. Wershaw, eds. Humic Substances in Soil, Sediment, and Water. Vol. 1. 1985, Jon Wiley: New York.

Fulvic acid :
It is considered a macromolecular polymer whose structure and characteristics are variable with respect to its origin and the humification process[6]. Like humic acids, fulvic acids have always occurred in nature, in water, in the soil and the peat. It comes from a humification process occuring during plant decay. Chronologically, fulvic acids are most likely produced after the humic acids. Two laboratory analysis results show that the complex mixture of humc acid and fulvic acid can be sampled from the same tank of Hungarian peat.

The two most important groups are humic acids and fulvic acids. They have the following benefits according to scientific literature :

• Have a positive effect on mineral and essential nutrient absorption,
• Chelate heavy metals and body toxins minimizing them in the system.

The BIOWASHBALL ceramics :

This ceramics contain TM micro organisms, and have the ability to restructure water beneficially. We have never been able to understand fully how micro organisms can survive the 1,000 up to 1,300°C firing temperatures generated while producing ceramics It is highly improbable that other species could survive at such high temperatures, but the existence of these photosynthetic organisms is essential to partly understand the importance and the incredible role of the TM organisms These organisms were first discovered in Japan and given the “EM - Effective Micro organisms” denomination. Thereafter, South Korea developed this technology further and gave the TM name “Total Effective Micro organisms”, combining the ground/soils fermentation effects to increase the micro organism’s capabilities.

Essentially, three bacteria’s make up the composition of these micro organisms

1. Photosynthetic Bacteria

These bacteria synthesize substances coming from roots, organic matter and gases (especially hydrogen sulfite) by using light from the sun and heat from the ground. The beneficial substances thus produced by these bacteria include, amongst others, amino acids, nucleic acids, bioactive substances & sugars. The metabolites produced by these micro organisms are absorbed directly by plants.

2. Lactic acid bacteria

These bacteria produce lactic acid from sugars and other carbohydrates coming from the photosynthetic bacteria and the yeasts. Some foods (such as yoghurts) are produced from these bacteria for many decades. However, lactic acid has a very important sterilization effect, it destroys undesirable micro organisms and triggers fermentation. Furthermore, lactic acid insures the decomposition of matter such as lignite & cellulose and also triggers their fermentation, thus canceling the undesirable effects of possible non decomposed organic materials

3. The Yeast

The yeasts synthesize antimicrobial substances as well as other substances necessary to plant growth from amino acids, sugar products from photosynthetic bacteria & plant roots. Bioactive substances such as hormones & enzymes produced by yeasts will improve cells activity and cell dividing.

Ceramics which contain TM and TM-x’s can and will transfer beneficial effects & energies to water and/or to other substances in which they are added (concrete, plaster, compost, animal waste), and thus make for a more beneficial local environment :

1) It improves the structure of water

2) It imparts other beneficial energies & effects to water

3) It discourages growth of unfriendly organisms

The presence of photosynthetic bacteria explains why the BIOWASHBALL needs to be exposed to the sun in order to “regenerate”. As it is most of the time the case with associating minerals, the effects of each ceramic is enhanced by thepresence of one or several others. All the basic components of these ceramics are entirely natural products extracted from the ground.

	TM-C M Ceramic TM-C M ceramic improve the water emulsification, permeation, dispersion, and solubility abilities. They modify the pH of water to reduce alkalinity.
	TM-C R Ceramic Water molecules in contact with TM-C R ceramics have a high antioxidant activity and prevent water molecules from breaking down into 2 kinds of ions (H+ and OH-). Normal tap water treated with this ceramics turns into water with a low oxidation-reduction potential and becomes a strong non oxidizing agent. This phenomenon decreases and/or removes hazards induced by free radicals.
	TM-C EL Ceramic TM-C EL ceramic radiates far infrared rays within wave lengths closest to the one favorable to the human body.
	TM-C J Ceramic TM-C EL ceramic radiates far infrared rays within wave lengths closest to the one favorable to the human body and reduce the oxidation effects of water. They also help water to enhance the metabolism of the human body.
	TM-C pH Ceramic TM-C pH ceramics controls the pH of treated water by reducing alkalinity stabilize the pH. The abundance of ions released from the ceramics allows the water to keep a low alkaline level.
	TM-C K Ceramic This ceramics protect water from bacterial & microbial contamination. The far infrared rays radiating from this ceramics make water molecules clusters much smaller. Because water passing through or contacting this ceramic possesses strong surface tension, toxic ions are bound tightly by this treated water and become harmless.
	Charbon actif CALGON-made (made in USA) activated carbon is effectively able to remove harmful organic substances as well as mold, odor and others.
	TM-C Z Ceramic This ceramic mainly protects water from microbial or bacterial contamination.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) :

The Mentha piperita oil is a volatile oil obtained from peppermint (a member of the Labiatae family) and is classified as an essential oil. It is used as a skin softening agent and an ingredient in perfumery.
This volatile essential oil possesses therapeutic properties for the skin: analgesic, anaesthetic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, anti-infectious, descongestive, stimulating and vasoconstrictor.
According to Greek mythology, Mentha, a nymph, was pursued by Hades, whose jealous wife, Persephone, stamped on her. As a result, Hades transformed her into the plant with its smooth fragrance that has been so much appreciated ever since.
Its analgesic and anaesthetic properties are very effective for the relief of pain, especially foot ache, rheumatism, neuralgia and muscular pains. Its stimulating action is very useful in helping to improve blood circulation.
This refreshing herb has occupied a preponderant place in our daily lives for many, many years, as it is an ingredient of numerous household articles, going from tooth-paste to air-freshener and from products for skin-care to hygienic goods.