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GOTU KOLA (CENTELLA ASIATICA)

Parts Used: Whole Plant

Common Names: Mandukparni / Gotu Kola / Brahmabuti / Indian Pennywort

Rasa (Taste): Tikta (Bitter), Kasaya (Astringent)

Guna (Qualities): Laghu (Light)

Veerya (Potency): Sheet (Cold)

Vipaka (Post Digestion Effect): Madhura (Sweet)

Karma (Pharmacological Activity): Medhya (intellect promoting), Raktapittahara (prevents bleeding from high pitta), Kusthaghna (alleviates skin disease), Rasayana (rejuvenates life), Vayasthapana (anti-ageing), Hridaya (heart tonic), Nidrajanana (promotes sleep)

Bioactive Compounds: Asiatic Acid, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, and Madecassoside

Family: Apiaceae           

Gotu kola is a low-growing, evergreen perennial plant about 20cm tall. The plant spreads quickly by the roots, producing long stolon’s up to 250cm in length - these roots at the nodes and the plant can soon form large carpets of growth. It’s found in shady, damp and wet places such as paddy fields, and in grass thickets

Gotu kola is often mentioned as an herb for longevity, or the “fountain for life”. It is one of the most spiritual and rejuvenating herbs in Ayurveda and is used to improve meditation. It is said to develop the crown chakra, the energy center at the top of the head and to balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain, which the leaf is said to resemble. In the nineteenth century, Gotu Kola and its extracts were incorporated into Indian pharmacopoeia, wherein addition to being recommended for wound healing. Gotu kola is considered “food for the brain”. In Ayurveda, Gotu Kola is one of the chief herbs for revitalizing the nerves and brain cells. It is said to fortify the immune system, both cleansing and feeding it and to strengthen the adrenals. 

Boosts Cognitive Function: Gotu Kola comprises profuse volumes of the antioxidant asiatic acid and its derivatives. This provides neuroprotective effects to cells in the brain, advancing memory and learning. Gotu kola helps in stimulating your brain’s neural pathways by eliminating plaque and free radicals from the brain. It also helps in slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s and dementia, in older people affected by the disease.

Ayurvedic View: Gotu kola is used in Ayurvedic healing to balance all three doshas — Kapha, Pitta, and Vata. It is said to be relaxing for pitta, calming of vata in the mind, and beneficial in reducing excess kapha in the body. According to Ayurveda, the nervous system is controlled by Vata. An imbalance of Vata leads to poor mental alertness. Gotu Kola helps improve mental alertness as well as enhances memory due to its Medhya (brain tonic) property.

 

Stress Buster: Gotu Kola is a Natural Anxiety Reliever. Stress is becoming a common factor in the present age with a hectic lifestyle, and daily pressure in different forms. Stress can lead to sleep deprivation, the result of which is anxiety. It is packed with nutrients that promote oxygen supply to the brain, It is very beneficial in decreasing levels of stress, anxiety and depression. It also has mild sedative properties and is hence useful for those suffering from insomnia and other sleep disorders. It also manages the function of neurotransmitters by balancing the behavioural changes and release of hormones.

Ayurvedic View: According to Ayurveda, any neurological disorder like anxiety is controlled by Vata dosha. Gotu Kola helps reduce the symptoms of anxiety and gives a calming effect on the nervous system due to its Medhya (brain tonic) property.

 

Boost Blood Circulation: Gotu kola is known to support healthy veins and vessels throughout the circulatory system. The most common problems due to degeneration or malfunction of blood circulation are varicose veins. Varicose veins are a condition where veins swell up in the legs and feet, thereby obstructing the smooth flow of blood across organs and tissues. Gotu Kola, being rich in iron, has the potential to remove plaques from blood vessels, and thus regulates blood pressure and heals varicose veins.

 

Relieves Joint Pain: The antioxidants in Gotu Kola - flavonoids and carotenoids, remove toxins from the body, while its high calcium content fortifies bones. This ayurvedic herb also supplies valuable anti-inflammatory effects to swollen, painful joints, hence efficiently reducing discomfort in ailments such as arthritis.

 

Promotes Gut Health: Gotu Kola possesses the noteworthy quality of being able to regulate digestion as it is loaded with proteins and vitamin C. It can also promote mucous secretions in the intestines which can help combat the increased acidity in severe gastric ulcers and effectively heal stomach aches.

Ayurvedic View: Gotu Kola helps to manage indigestion. According to Ayurveda, indigestion means the state of an incomplete process of digestion. The primary reason for Indigestion is aggravated Kapha which lead to Agnimandya (weak digestive fire). Gotu Kola helps to improve Agni (digestive fire) and digest the food easily due to its Deepan (appetizer) property, thereby preventing Indigestion.

It revitalizes the brain and nervous system thus exhibit significant effect on learning and memory process by decreasing level of norepinephrine, dopamine, and 5- HT in the brain. It enhances memory retention and learning by decreasing lipid peroxidation and growth of endogenous antioxidant enzymes in the brain. It calms the adrenal glands, which in turn lowers the release of stress hormone and increases dopamine and serotonin levels. It shows anti-inflammatory effect by Inhibition of enzyme (iNOS, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukins (IL-6, IL-1β), cytokine tumour necrosis factor (TNF-α)), expression through the downregulation of NF-κB activation.

  • Puttarak P et al.Effects of Centella Asiatica (L.) Urb. on cognitive function and mood related outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports.2017;7(10646): 1-12.
  • Shukla, A., Rasik, AM. and Dhawan, BN. Asiaticoside-induced elevation of antioxidant levels in healing wounds. Phytother Res. 1999; 3(1): 50-54
  • Anil Kumar, Dogra.S, and Prakash,A Neuroprotective Effects of Centella asiatica Against Intracerebroventricular Colchicine Induced Cognitive Impairment and Oxidative Stress, International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 2009; 8 pages doi:10.4061/2009/972178.
  • Chandra J, Joshi H, Bahuguna P, et al.Experimental studies on Centella asiatica for anxiolytic activity in rats.Scholars academic journal of biosciences.2013;1(6):283-289.
  • Shukla, A., Rasik, A.M., Jain, G.K., Shankar, R., Kulshrestha, D.K., Dhawan, B.N., 1999. In vitro and in vivo wound healing activity of asiaticoside isolated from Centella asiatica. J. Ethnopharmacol. 65 (1), 1–11.

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