GOTU KOLA: A HUMBLE WEED

Gotu Kola is one of my favorite herbs and it is also known as Indian Pennywort. This plant is just a humble weed that is found in many places around the world. At first it does not seem to be anything special but its casual appearance hides one of the most useful medicines on our planet. If I had to summarize the benefits of Gotu Kola into one word it would be circulation. But I really hate to do that because unlike synthetic drugs herbs contain many natural triterpenes that offer synergistic results that truly effect multiple systems in the human body. We see Gotu Kola showing up in many traditional treatment protocols for healing the skin and it was this that first lead European scientists to investigate. What the researchers found was a group of phytochemicals in Gotu Kola known as triterpenes (specifically asiaticoside) that were found to have wound healing activity in many experimental models (by injection, oral and topical administration). The mechanism of action includes the stimulation of type I collagen and a resulting decrease in the inflammatory reaction. The constituents also stimulate glycosaminoglycan production and act specifically to shorten the immediate phase of healing. Again, a really cool thing about Gotu Kola is that it is effective by injection, oral or topical administration. I have used a liquid form topically with excellent results on many skin conditions. There are not many herbs that can be used in this way.

Now let's talk about circulation. Gotu Kola is a natural way to keep the vascular system in good condition and promote normal blood circulation. It can be a powerful aid to maintaining good health by supporting healthy connective tissue and the integrity of blood vessel walls. It can be argued that circulation of lack of it is a foundational cause of most degenerative diseases. Certainly conditions like neuropathy and sciatica are due to a type of nerve ischemia. When we increase the blood flow to the damaged areas, symptoms decrease and the body's innate response begins to work better, and people start healing. Blood carries vital nutrients and clears away wastes, giving tissues the best opportunity to regenerate.

There are two ways you can buy Gotu Kola, as a tablet, Gotu Kola Complex M1313 and as a Gotu Kola liquid 1:2 extract M7060. Personally with this herb I like the liquid extract. I start most people off at 4ml twice per day. Gotu Kola is a very safe herb and I have never seen a negative reaction in 20 years of use. Mix the 4ml with a bit of water and take it in one quick "shot", because it tastes horrible. In fact you will need a chaser standing by, I like grape juice. I have also used the liquid extract as a topical, applying it with a foam paint brush. It stains, it stinks and it works! My wife has mixed it with moisturizer cream and used it that way. You can email me for her secret recipe.

So, if you are needed to heal tissues in your body, Gotu Kola is your number one "Go To"... I have used it for everything including stomach ulcers, arthritis and even post surgical trauma. Remember, only Mediherb has the patented extraction process to make sure you are really getting the medicine that is hidden in the herb. If you are not convinced that you should only buy Mediherb, then please save yourself alot of trouble and first read this article (HERE) before you go out to walmart and spend money on dangers vitamins .

Here are some great benefits for all the geeks out there ( I mean that with love, I am also a science geek!)

1. May increase brain power.
A small 2016 study compared the effects of gotu kola extract and folic acid in boosting cognitive function after a stroke. This small study assessed the impact on three groups of participants — one taking 1,000 milligrams (mg) of gotu kola per day, one taking 750 mg of gotu kola per day, and one taking 3 mg of folic acid per day. Although gotu kola and folic acid were equally beneficial in improving overall cognition, gotu kola was more effective in improving memory domain. A separate study looked at the cognitive enhancing effects of gotu kola water extract on mice. Although both young and old mice showed improvements in learning and memory using the Morris Water Maze, the effect was higher in the older mice.

2. It may help treat Alzheimer’s disease.
Gotu kola has the ability to enhance memory and nerve function, which gives it potential in treating Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, one 2012 study on mice found that gotu kola extract had a positive effect on behavioral abnormalities in mice with Alzheimer’s disease. The extract was also shown, in lab and animal studies, to have a modest effect on protecting brain cells from toxicity. This could also protect the cells from forming the plaque associated with Alzheimer’s.

3. It may help reduce anxiety and stress.
Researchers in an animal study from 2016 found that gotu kola had an anti-anxiety effect on male mice that were sleep deprived for 72 hours. Sleep deprivation can cause anxiety, oxidative damage, and neuroinflammation.
Mice that were given gotu kola for five consecutive days before undergoing sleep deprivation experienced significantly less anxiety-like behavior. They also experienced improved locomotor activity and less oxidative damage. A 2013 study of anti-anxiety herbal medicines also concluded that gotu kola has an acute anti-anxiety effect.

4. It may act as an antidepressant
Gotu kola’s positive effect on brain function may also make it an effective antidepressant. A review from 2016 supports these findings, in part due to a study on 33 people with generalized anxiety disorder. The participants were asked to take gotu kola in place of their antidepressant medication for 60 days. They self-reported decreased stress, anxiety, and depression. Another study discussed in the review assessed the effect of gotu kola on rats induced with chronic depression. The herbal remedy had a positive effect on certain elements of behavioral depression, including body weight, body temperature, and heart rate.

5. It may improve circulation and reduce swelling
Research from 2001 found that gotu kola can reduce problems with fluid retention, ankle swelling, and circulation tied to taking flights that last longer than three hours. Participants who experienced mild-to-moderate superficial venous disease with varicose veins were asked to take gotu kola for two days before their flight, the day of their flight, and the day after their flight. Researchers found that participants who took the supplement experienced significantly less fluid retention and ankle swelling than those who didn’t. Older research has also shown that gotu kola can be useful in treating varicose veins. This may be because gotu kola has a positive metabolic effect on the connective tissue of the vascular wall.

6. It may help ease insomnia
Given its perceived ability to treat anxiety, stress, and depression, gotu kola may also be used to treat the insomnia that sometimes accompanies these conditions. Some consider this herbal remedy to be a safe alternative to prescription medications used to treat insomnia and other sleep disorders.

7. It may help reduce appearance of stretch marks
According to a 2013, gotu kola can reduce the appearance of stretch marks. It’s thought that the terpenoids found in gotu kola increase collagen production in the body. This may help prevent new stretch marks from forming, as well as help heal any existing marks.
8. It may promote wound healing and minimize scarring. Researchers in a 2015 study on rats found that wound dressing containing gotu kola had healing effects on multiple types of wounds. This includes clean cuts by sharp objects, irregular tears caused by blunt-force trauma, and infected tissue.

9. It may help relieve joint pain
The anti-inflammatory properties of gotu kola may be useful in treating arthritis.
In fact, one 2014 study on collagen-induced arthritis in rats found that oral administration of gotu kola reduced joint inflammation, cartilage erosion, and bone erosion. Its antioxidant effect also had a positive effect on the immune system.

10. It may have a detox effect
Newer research is taking a look at gotu kola’s effect on liver and kidney toxicity.
According to one 2017 animal study gotu kola can be used to suppress the toxic side effects of the antibiotic isoniazid. Isoniazid is used to treat and prevent tuberculosis. Rats were given 100 mg of gotu kola for 30 days before they were given the antibiotic. These rats experienced less toxicity overall. Rats that did experience toxicity in the liver and kidneys resumed to near-normal levels after being given gotu kola.

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