From improving wound healing to easing anxiety, gotu kola is a powerful herbal remedy that offers a wide range of health benefits. Essentially gotu kola is a revitalizing herb that strengthens nervous system function and improves memory. It is a balancing tonic that brings stimulation to the brain by way of cerebral blood circulation, while also being a support to the nervous system. It can be used topically for skin conditions and wound healing where it helps to speed up collagen formation and promotes the development of new blood vessels while increasing antioxidant levels in early stages of tissue repair.
Gotu kola – a heady herb
Gotu Kola grows in the Himalayas. It is reportedly used there amongst the yogis to enhance a deep meditation practice. It is thought to balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain, and some believe it charges the crown chakra in the process. This amazing herbal supplement is also regarded as one of the most important rejuvenating herbs in Ayurvedic Medicine, known as one of the “Brahmi” herbs.
As a perennial plant gotu kola is found growing in India, Japan, China, Indonesia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the South Pacific. It is a very mild tasting plant and a delicate member of the parsley family that is happiest growing near water. It has rounded umbrella shaped bright green leaves and produces pale light purple-to-pink flowers, along with small oval fruit.
The leaf and root components of this extraordinary plant contain key components that support healthy neurotransmitter function, while also giving a boost to mental alertness and memory. A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease reported that gotu kola extract may be able to improve memory at the molecular level by enhancing the activity of a pathway associated with long-term memory formation.
Gotu kola gets the blood moving
Poor circulation typically shows up in patients with varicose veins, obesity, diabetes and peripheral artery disease with symptoms like numbness, tingling and muscle pain. Gotu kola can help get the blood pumping for those suffering from circulation issues, as it has been studied extensively for its unique ability to naturally improve blood circulation.
Depression and anxiety relief
Several studies demonstrate that gotu kola offers anti-anxiety and antidepressant properties meaning it works well to inhibit anxiety and treat depression. It can help to calm nerves offering a sedative effect to promote better sleep.
And more
Additional studies hail gotu kola for its inflammation fighting properties in the treatment of several inflammatory diseases. Some studies suggest that gotu kola can help prevent and treat harmful lesions brought on by gastric ulcers, by strengthening the intestinal barrier and blocking damage from harmful free radicals. And finally, there is some evidence that gotu kola may help kill certain types of cancer cells.
How to use gotu kola
The standard dose of gotu kola (Centella asiatica) varies among practitioners and uses, but it is readily available in supplement form, as a dried herb and as a tincture and extract.
Precautions:
Gotu kola, like many supplements, has the potential to be harmful to the liver and is best taken under the supervision of a healthcare provider, or in an on and off again fashion for not longer than 6 weeks at a time, with a 2-week break before taking the herb again.