Gotu Kola herbal supplement plant extract health benefit, side effects, review by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Centella asiatica herb is commonly used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. Traditionally, this herb has been used as a nerve tonic for memory and clarity of thinking, for the therapy of anxiety and depression, and sometimes for indigestion. The name gotu kola in Sanskrit is Brahmi, which means wisdom or consciousness.

Buy Gotu Kola Herb, 250 mg
Centella asiatica is used in India similar to how the Chinese use Ginseng, for longevity and vitality. Although its name is similar to cola nut, Gotu "Kola" does not contain caffeine. Gotu Kola is sometimes used by individuals wanting to avoid caffeine as a part of their diet.

Supplement Facts
Serving Size 2 Capsules
Servings Per Container 50


 

Buy Gotu Kola supplement
Amount Per Serving:
Gotu Kola herb leaf - 500 mg per 2 pills

Recommendation: Take 1 or 2 gotu kola capsules daily or as directed by your health care provider.

Gotu Kola benefits and medical uses
Gotu Kola improves circulation, causes alertness, and helps in relaxation. It may also have antioxidant properties. Oral treatment of a methanol extract of gotu kola for 14 days significantly increased the anti-oxidant enzymes, like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), and anti-oxidants like glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid decreased in lymphoma-bearing mice.
   Other studies in mice shows it to have antidepressant and anti-ulcer ability.

Anxiety
Anxiolytic effects of standardized extract of Centella asiatica (ECa 233) after chronic immobilization stress in mice.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2012.
The present study demonstrated anxiolytic effect of a gotu kola extract preparation in both acutely and chronically stressed animals. These effects could be mainly accounted by madecassoside and asiaticoside, suggesting a possible use of ECa 233 for the treatment of both acute and chronic anxiety in the pathological state.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study on the effects of Gotu Kola on acoustic startle response in healthy subjects.
J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2000.
Investigations of the pharmacologic profile of medicinal plants have revealed that a number of plants with purported anxiolytic activity bind to cholecystokinin (CCK) receptors. This finding is intriguing in view of the proposed involvement of CCK in the pathophysiology of fear and anxiety. This double-blind, placebo-controlled study was undertaken to evaluate the anxiolytic activity ofCentella asiatica in healthy subjects. Gotu Kola has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. Recent studies in the rat have shown that long-term pretreatment with Gotu Kola decreases locomotor activity, enhances elevated-plus maze performance, and attenuates the acoustic startle response (ASR). In this study, the authors evaluated the effects of Gotu Kola on the ASR in humans. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either a single 12-g orally administered dose of Gotu Kola or placebo. The results revealed that it significantly attenuated the peak ASR amplitude 30 and 60 minutes after treatment. Gotu Kola had no significant effect on self-rated mood, heart rate, or blood pressure. These preliminary findings suggest that Gotu Kola has anxiolytic activity in humans as revealed by the ASR.

Depression
Effect of total triterpenes from Centella asiatica on the depression behavior and concentration of amino acid in forced swimming mice
Zhong Yao Cai. 2003.
Mice were randomly divided into control group, model group and treatment group. The effect of total triterpenes from gotu kola on the immobility time in forced swimming mice and concentration of amino acid in mice brain tissue was observed. Imipramine and total triterpenes from gotu kola reduced the immobility time and ameliorated the imbalance of amino acid levels. The total triterpenes from gotu kola had antidepressant activity.

Periodontitis
Adjunctive periodontal treatment with Centella asiatica and Punica granatum extracts. A preliminary study.
J Int Acad Periodontol. 2003.
he purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the combined extracts from Gotu kola and P. granatum pericarp on periodontal healing following scaling and root planing in adult periodontitis patients. An innovative herbal medicament was formulated in the form of biodegradable chips for subgingival application. Twenty patients with initial pocket depth 5-8 mm were enrolled into the study. After baseline examination, scaling and root planing of non-target teeth, the target teeth received scaling and root planing followed by subgingival delivery of medicated chips in the test group and unmedicated chips in the placebo group. Probing pocket depth, attachment level, bleeding on probing, gingival index, and plaque index were recorded at baseline, 3 and 6 months. The results showed significant improvements of pocket depth and attachment level in the test sites when compared with the placebo sites at 3 months and with the placebo and control sites at 6 months. All treatment sites exhibited a similar trend of decreasing plaque score. However, the test sites seemed to show slightly better percentage of bleeding on probing. The results indicate that local delivery with Gotu kola and P. granatum extracts plus scaling and root planing significantly reduced the clinical signs of chronic periodontitis.

Ulcer
The healing effects of Centella extract and asiaticoside on acetic acid induced gastric ulcers in rats.
Life Sci. 2004.
In this study, the healing effects of gotu kola water extract and asiaticoside (AC), an active constituent, on acetic acid induced gastric ulcers (kissing ulcers) in rats were examined. Gotu kola was prepared from Centella asiatica dry plant and the concentration of AC was quantitatively determined with the use of high performance liquid chromatography analysis. Different concentrations of gotu kola and AC were orally administered to rats with kissing ulcers. They were found to reduce the size of the ulcers at day 3 and 7 in a dose-dependent manner, with a concomitant attenuation of myeloperoxidase activity at the ulcer tissues. Epithelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis were on the other hand promoted. The expression of basic fibroblast growth factor, an important angiogenic factor, was also upregulated in the ulcer tissues in rats treated with gotu kola or AC. These results further suggest the potential use of gotu kola and its active ingredient as anti-gastric ulcers drugs.

Venous hypertension
Treatment of edema and increased capillary filtration in venous hypertension with total triterpenic fraction of Centella asiatica (gotu kola): a clinical, prospective, placebo-controlled, randomized, dose-ranging trial. St Mary's Hospital and Imperial College, London, UK. Angiology. 2001.
The variation of capillary filtration rate (CFR), ankle circumference (AC), and ankle edema (AE) was evaluated in three groups of patients with venous hypertension and in a group of normal subjects before and after treatment for 4 weeks with total triterpenic fraction of gotu kola, a venoactive drug acting on the microcirculation and on capillary permeability. The improvement of signs and symptoms by gotu kola observed in patients with venous hypertension was well correlated with the improvement of CFR and ankle edema. Dose ranging showed that 180 mg/day total triterpenic fraction of Centella asiatica (gotu kola) is more effective in improving symptoms and CFR.

Wound healing
Gotu kola is  used in the treatment of various skin diseases by Ayurvedic doctors.

Effect of Centella asiatica on normal and dexamethasone-suppressed wound healing in Wistar Albino rats.
Int J Low Extrem Wounds. 2006.
The objective of the study presented in this article was to evaluate the wound-healing potential of the ethanolic extract of gotu kola in both normal and dexamethasone-suppressed wound healing. The study was done on Wistar albino rats using incision, excision, and dead space wounds models. The extract of gotu kola significantly increased the wound breaking strength in incision wound model compared to controls. The extract-treated wounds were found to epithelize faster, and the rate of wound contraction was significantly increased as compared to control wounds. The extract of the leaves had the effect of attenuating the known effects of dexamethasone healing in all wound models. The results indicated that the leaf extract promotes wound healing significantly and is able to overcome the wound-healing suppressing action of dexamethasone in a rat model.

Chemical composition
Gotu kola contains various alkaloids, triterpenes, sterols, tannins, and glycosides. Recently three new compounds were isolated from the aerial parts named centellin, asiaticin, and centellicin.

Availability over the counter
Gotu Kola is sold by raw material suppliers in various extract potencies, including a standardized extract of 10% triterpenes. Consumers can purchase it in capsules or liquid extracts.

Gotu Kola side effects, is it safe?
Not enough human research for any prolonged period has been done to know whether it is safe or whether it has side effects.

Review
Gotu kola, centella asiatica herb, has pentacyclic triterpene derivatives. This herb may be used in chronic venous insufficiency and wound healing.

Interactions with medications
I am interested in a gotu kola supplement for my husband who has mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. It has been recommended by his support group to start taking the gotu kola, my question is he is on a lot of medications, two are for Alzheimer's, Excelon patch and Namenda. Are there any prescription drugs that one should not take with this herb?
   These are very difficult to answer since I am not aware of any research with the combination of this herbal supplement and medications. One option is to begin with a low dosage and see what effects occur. Do so with medical supervision.