Gotu Kola – sources, health benefits, nutrients, uses and constituents at NaturalPedia.com
Tuesday, September 12, 2017 by Jhoanna Robinson
http://www.naturalpedia.com/gotu-kola-sources-health-benefits-nutrients-uses-and-constituents-at-naturalpedia-com.html
Gotu kola, which is also called Indian pennywort and Brahmi, has the scientific name Centella asiatica and is a member of the Apiaceae family. It also gained the moniker tiger’s herb due to the tigers’ propensity of rubbing against the gotu kola tree to heal their wounds.
List of known nutrients
- Asiatic Acid
- Asiaticoside
- Betulinic Acid
- Brahminoside
- Camphor
- Centellasaponin A
- Centellasaponin B
- Centellasaponin C
- Centellasaponin D
- Isothankunic Acid
- Kaempferol
- Triterpenoids
Medicinal uses for gotu kola
Gotu kola has anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, anticancer, antioxidant, astringent, nervine, refrigerant, vasodilator, and vulnerary (wound-healing) properties.
Gotu kola is good for the hair. It prevents incidents of hair loss.
Gotu kola is good for the skin. Its asiatic acid content stimulates collagen production, thus improving the skin’s ability to heal wounds. It can also be used to treat leprosy, cellulite, phlebitis (vein inflammation due to blood clots), stretch marks, and scars. Its triterpenoid content exerts its influence over cells and tissues, particularly connective tissues, to boost the body’s healing processes.
Gotu kola is advisable for people who find it hard to sleep at night.
Body systems supported by gotu kola
Gotu kola is good for the nervous system. It induces the release of dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that regulates the brain’s reward and pleasure centers, thus relieving feelings of anxiety. It also enhances the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (which is found in cannabis), caffeine (the psychoactive drug that is most commonly found in coffee), and sex hormones.
It can also boost a person’s ability to store long-term memory due to its capability to increase the cAMP response element-binding protein CREB, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels in the body. Researchers are conducting experiments if it can treat mental conditions such as depression and schizophrenia.
Ways to use gotu kola
People are recommended to take around 1000 milligrams of gotu kola per day in capsules. Remind yourself not to overdose on gotu kola, for doing so can cause nausea.
Where to learn more
- One Person’s Yard Weed is Another’s Fountain of Youth
- Discover the Benefits and Uses of Gotu Kola
- My Favorite Brain Food
- Natural Home Remedies for Spider Veins
- 7 Medicinal Plants with Healing Powers Worth Planting
Summary
Gotu kola is good for the nervous system.
Gotu kola has anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, anticancer, antioxidant, astringent, nervine, refrigerant, vasodilator, and vulnerary (wound-healing) properties.
Gotu kola is good for the hair and skin.
Sources include:
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