What is the connection between jiaogulan and ginseng?

There is no biological relationship between jiaogulan and ginseng. Chinese herbalists sometimes call jiaogulan 5-leaf ginseng or poor man’ s ginseng because according to Chinese Medicine both herbs have a similar tonifying effect on the body. Scientist have determined that the active ingredients in both ginseng and jiaogulan are chemicals called saponins. Researchers found that jiaogulan has nearly 3 times as many beneficial saponins as ginseng (82 vs 26).