Gotu Kola
(Centella asiatica)
Gotu Kola, also known as Indian Pennywort is one of the most widely used and important Ayurvedic herbs on the market today. This ground cover species is weed like especially, in parts of India and Hawaii where it grows prolifically in unusual conditions, such as drainage ditches, gutters and neglected areas. Don't let its wild predomination scare you, Gotu Kola is also one of the largest cultivated crops and thrives under organic farming conditions. While popularly used as a food source in the form of leafy greens within Bangladesh, Thailand and Sri Lanka it also has been internationally recognized within many countries pharmacopoeias and has been a valid, recognized, botanical medicine since 1884.
Constituents
Mainly consisting of triterpenoid
saponins, sapogenins,
Parts Used
Leaf. Either fresh or dried.
Typical preparations
Tea from the dried leaves,
encapsulated dry leaf, liquid herbal extract and, using fresh leaves
from your garden in your salads, beverages and medicines.
Summary
The widespread belief that Gotu Kola helps
improve memory led to several studies on its effect on the central
nervous and circulatory systems. The preliminary results suggest
that it may help with memory and cognitive disabilities as well as
helping the body overcome stress and fatigue. However it should be
noted that those with mild to moderate depression might want to use
caution. Some testing done in India indicates it may act as a very
mild depressant.
Precautions
None noted
