herbal advisor
by Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa
top 5 uses for gotu kola This time-tested botanical boasts a full range of benefits, from combating mood disorders and preventing age-related mental decline to healing wounds and clearing up skin conditions.
G
otu kola (Centella asiatica) is a nerve tissues from crushing trauma and frontline herb in all of the big three neuromuscular disorders. The herb has natural healing systems—Western, shown potential in enhancing neuroregenAyurveda, and Chinese. In Ayurvedic eration, including the regeneration of medicine, it’s called “brahmi,” which means crushed sciatic nerves and protection from “godlike,” a reference to its prodigious neuronal injury in hypoxia conditions. A benefits. It strengthens memory, concenrecent discovery from Oregon Health and tration, and intelligence; promotes Science University validated gotu kola’s longevity; and improves the voice, use for treating diabetic neuropathy, physical strength, and complexand in 2020, scientists reported ion. It’s used to treat diseases that gotu kola helped regenerDid You as diverse as epilepsy, ate a peripheral nerve. Try: Know? senility, and psoriasis. Solaray Gotu Kola capsules Gotu kola is exceptionally high in B-complex A 2020 review pointed vitamins, especially in B1, B2, and B6, all of which out its use in neurological, Wound Healing are essential nutrients endocrine, skin, cardiovascuGotu kola actually heals for the nervous system. lar, gastrointestinal, immune, and regrows new skin, gently and gynecological diseases. closing and repairing even long-standing, painful lesions in dramatically scarred skin. It has been Mind Matters documented to aid wound healing in Gotu kola strengthens memory, concentraseveral studies, where it appeared to tion, and intelligence, and stabilizes mood, stimulate type-1 collagen production. and a 2017 scientific assessment found that Animal studies have shown that topical it also increases alertness and reduces application to a sutured wound signifianger. Recent Korean research showed that cantly increases the breaking strength of components in gotu kola have potential for the wound. European and Indian researchtreating Alzheimer’s disease,. And animal ers, in several studies, confirmed that gotu research from India used gotu kola tea to kola compounds promote rapid healing in improve cognitive behavior in two different wounds. Internal wounds (intestinal ulcers) laboratory models of Alzheimer’s disease. also respond to gotu kola. Try: Paragon A voluminous 2020 study in the journal Plus PurExtract Gotu Kola liquid Brain Science described gotu kola as having extensive promise in this area, and another study from 2020 reported that Skin Success gotu kola constituents reversed cognitive Gotu kola heals connective tissue from deficits in an Alzheimer’s model. skin and fascia to muscles and bones. A study in rats also showed an impresKnown for centuries in Asia as a treatment sive improvement in memory. Treated rats for leprosy, gotu kola heals a host of skin were able to retain learned behavior 3–60 conditions, including cellulite, varicose times better than control rats. Try: Gaia veins, and dermatitis. This herb stimulates Herbs Mental Clarity the growth of hair and nails, increases blood supply to connective tissue, enhances the formation of structural Nerve Healing constituents in connective tissue, promotes As the main global herb for the nervous the tensile integrity of the skin, and system, gotu kola is used in the repair of
10
increases protein growth in the skin. In clinical trials of gotu kola and turmeric against placebo, the herb improved every eczema symptom, including erythema, edema, scaling, itching, and lichenification. The active substances in gotu kola are thought to be triterpenes, steroid-like compounds that improve the function and integrity of the collagen matrix and support the “ground substance”—the basic glue that holds the cells of our skin together. This is likely why gotu kola can be used to treat an assortment of degenerate skin conditions, including acne. An exciting study of gotu kola for inflammatory skin disease was done over 25 years ago. Using a very conservative dose, gotu kola was effective in 85 percent of patients. One paper looked at gotu kola extracts, and confirmed that alcohol and water preparations were beneficial, confirming its historical use as a tea and skin cream. Try: Irwin Naturals Longer, Stronger Hair and Nails + Radiant Skin
Get with the Flow Gotu kola can also help cardiovascular conditions, including venous insufficiency, varicose veins, and arterial plaque. In a double-blind study, 94 patients with venous insufficiency took an extract of gotu kola at a daily dose of 60 mg or 120 mg for three months. Those who took gotu kola at either dose demonstrated improvements in limb heaviness and edema when compared to a control group that took a placebo. Try: LifeSeasons Circulari-T
How to take it Since gotu kola is basically a mild salad vegetable, the capsule or tea dose can be up to 15 grams per day. Many people use a modest dose of 1 gram in capsules for daily rejuvenation. Also try a cup of gotu kola tea with honey before meditation.
June 2021
HE_JUN21_HerbalAdvisor_JS.indd 10
4/26/21 10:26 AM
Natural Fa
