Gotu Kola herb by Ray Sahelian, M.D. Health benefit of Gotu kola supplement
 

Gotu Kola herb - Centella asiatica - is commonly used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. Traditionally, gotu kola 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.

Gotu Kola Herb, 250 mg
Gotu Kola (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.

Gotu kola Supplement Facts
Serving Size 2 Capsules
Servings Per Container 50

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Amount Per Serving
Gotu Kola herb leaf - 500 mg*

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

* Gotu kola herb daily value not established.

Mind Power Rx with Gotu Kola herb - Formulated by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Why buy all the individual herbs and nutrients separately -- at great expense -- when you can buy this excellent combination?

The herbs in Mind Power Rx include: Ashwagandha, Bacopa, Fo-Ti, Ginkgo biloba,  Ginseng, Gotu kola herb, Mucuna pruriens, Reishi, and Rhodiola.  The nutrients and vitamins in Mind Power Rx include Acetyl-l-carnitine, Carnitine, Carnosine, Choline, DMAE, Inositol, Methylcobalamin, Pantothenic acid, Trimethylglycine, Tyrosine, and Vinpocetine.
Click the link above for gotu kola for more information and to visit Physician Formulas

Gotu Kola benefits
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 gotu kola to have antidepressant and anti-ulcer ability.

Gotu kola herb 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.

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

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

Gotu kola and wound healing
Gotu kola is  used in the treatment of various skin diseases by Ayurvedic doctors.
Effect of Centella asiatica L (Umbelliferae) on normal and dexamethasone-suppressed wound healing in Wistar Albino rats.
Int J Low Extrem Wounds. 2006 Sep;5(3):137-43. Department of Biochemistry, Melaka Manipal Medical College, India.
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.

Gotu Kola herb Research Update
Effect of total triterpenes from Centella asiatica (gotu kola) on the depression behavior and concentration of amino acid in forced swimming mice
Zhong Yao Cai. 2003 Dec;26(12):870-3.
To evaluate the antidepressant activity of total triterpenes from gotu kola in forced swimming test.  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.

The healing effects of Centella extract - gotu kola - and asiaticoside on acetic acid induced gastric ulcers in rats.
Life Sci. 2004 Mar 19;74(18):2237-49.
In this study, the healing effects of gotu kola water extract and asiaticoside (AC), an active constituent of gotu kola, 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 in gotu kola 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.

Adjunctive periodontal treatment with Centella asiatica ( gotu kola ) and Punica granatum extracts. A preliminary study.
J Int Acad Periodontol. 2003 Oct;5(4):106-15.
Centella asiatica ( Gotu kola ) and Punica granatum are medicinal herbs that have been reported to promote tissue healing and modulate host responses. The 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.

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.
De Sanctis MT.  St Mary's Hospital and Imperial College, London, UK.
Angiology. 2001 Oct;52 Suppl 2:S55-9.
The variation of capillary filtration rate (CFR), ankle circumference (AC), and ankle edema (AE) was evaluated in three groups of patients with venous hypertension (ambulatory venous pressure >42 mm Hg) and in a group of normal subjects before and after treatment for 4 weeks with total triterpenic fraction of Centella asiatica (gotu kola), a venoactive drug acting on the microcirculation and on capillary permeability. Group A (20 patients) was treated with gotu kola 60 mg thrice daily, group B (20 patients) was treated with 30 mg thrice daily; group C (12 patients) was treated with placebo; and group D (10 normal subjects) was treated with gotu kola 60 mg thrice daily in a randomized study. Capillary filtration rate was assessed by venous occlusion plethysmography, ankle edema by a new system called AET (ankle edema tester). Subjective symptoms of venous hypertension were assessed by an analogue scale line considering four symptoms: swelling sensation, restless lower extremity, pain and cramps, and tiredness. CFR, AC, and AE were significantly higher in patients in comparison with normal subjects. After 4 weeks of gotu kola treatment, there was a significant decrease of CFR, AC, and AET time in patients. This was also greater in the higher dose group. No significant change was observed in the placebo group and in normal subjects treated with gotu kola. Symptoms were also significantly improved in the two groups treated with the active drug according to the dose. No significant changes were observed in the placebo group. In conclusion, 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.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study on the effects of Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) on acoustic startle response in healthy subjects.
Bradwejn J. University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2000 Dec;20(6):680-4.
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 of Gotu Kola (Centella 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 (N = 20) or placebo (N = 20). The results revealed that compared with placebo, Gotu Kola 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. It remains to be seen whether this herb has therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of anxiety syndromes.

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