Gotu Kola Benefits and Side Effects

Gotu kola is an important substance central to the ancient Hindu tradition of healing, known as Ayurveda. Cultures in India, China, and Indonesia used it for many different ailments. People ingested Gotu kola and applied it topically for medicinal purposes and to enhance the experience of meditation in yoga.

This creeping perennial with fan-shaped leaves grows around the world in hot climates. Its popularity as a use for skin health in Asia spread to Europe at the end of the 1800s. Gotu kola is also believed to assist in building collagen. These qualities contribute to its use for healing skin burns and wounds and for varicose veins.

Gotu kola was also used for centuries in China to improve mental function, and is today a popular supplement for that purpose. In Sri Lanka, elephants enjoyed consuming its leaves and thus gave the plant a reputation for enhancing longevity.

Herbalists recommend it today for arthritis and other conditions that involve tissue swelling. People have used the leaves and stems of this tasteless, odorless plant. Its reputation for healing skin has not been verified in clinical studies.

There is more evidence that due to its calming effects, gotu kola can help people who experience anxiety. These findings were published in the December 2000 Journal of Psychopharmacology. Other studies on gotu kola and its effects are somewhat limited.

You can buy gotu kola in pill form, ointment, liquid, or tea leaves. Taking gotu kola for longer than six weeks is not recommended. Anyone wishing to use it for the long term should take a two-week break after ingesting it for six weeks.

This has been used from everything to leprosy to arthritis and tuberculosis. Also known as "food for the brain", it's believed to have the effect of both calming the body and mind and sharpening mental focus.