Chinese Quince (Mu Gua)

Chinese quince (also cydonia sinensis) is a plant generally found in Asia, the fruit of which has a yellowish green color and usually oblong, but depending on the variety may sometimes resemble an apple or pear.

The quince has a history of use in the Far Eastern medicine with both internal and external application.  The quince has been used internally for conditions related to digestion, such as dyspepsia and abdominal pain.  Externally, Chinese quince is used to relax muscle spasms, relieve calf (and lower body) cramps, and reduce arthritic pain and inflammation^[1].  It has also been proven to be an emollient for the skin^[2].  Preparation for medicinal use has shown that antioxidant activities of the fruit increase during heat treatment^[3].  The Chinese quince has also been an ingredient in folk medicine plasters to assist bone setting in fractures.

As an interesting note, the Chinese quince also shows anti-influenza A viral activity^[4].

Battle Balm® uses High Quality Cultivated and Prepared Chinese quince as one of its 20 key ingredients. Mu gua is just one of the many proven herbal compounds used to prevent rheumatic conditions, relax muscle spasms, and reduce pain so you can stay healthy and minimize time away from your training!

Back to Ingredients List

References:

1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21102377 (Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-influenza properties of components from Chaenomeles speciosa.)
2. http://www.academicjournals.org/JMPR/PDF/pdf2011/18Aug/Khoubnasabjafari%20and%20Jouyban.pdf (A review of phytochemistry and bioactivity of quince)
3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17300149 (Reddish coloration of Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis) procyanidins during heat treatment...)
4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15713000 (Phenolic profile, antioxidant property, and anti-influenza viral activity of Chinese quince...)