Nature's Way Gotu Kola Herb
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,
Nature's Way Gotu Kola does not contain caffeine. Gotu Kola is sometimes used by
individuals wanting to avoid caffeine as a part of their diet.
To buy
Gotu-Kola
extract.
Gotu kola
Supplement Facts
Gotu Kola (stem, leaf) - 870 mg per two capsules
Recommendation: Take 1 gotu kola capsule daily or as directed by your health
care provider.
Gotu
kola benefit
Gotu Kola improves circulation, causes
alertness, and helps in relaxation. It may also have antioxidant properties.
Oral treatment with gotu kola extract in lymphoma-bearing mice significantly
increases anti-oxidant enzymes, like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), and
anti-oxidants like glutathione (GSH).
Gotu Kola Research Update
Gotu kola for venous hypertension
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 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. 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 gotu kola is more effective in
improving symptoms and CFR.
Gotu kola for anxiety
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. 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 or placebo. 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 anxiety reducing activity in
humans.
Gotu kola supplement emails
Q. Would you still feel confident citing Nature's Way Gotu Kola if you heard
that they do not test for any of the active compounds in this well researched
herb? I emailed Nature's Way and that is what they said. Now foods Gotu Kola is
tested and assayed for asiaticosides and madecassosides for an unstandardised
product similar to theirs. Someone bought Nature's Way Gotu Kola for me by
accident, however I am not inclined to buy it again, seeing that it is not
tested.
A. Many herbal products are not assayed for their individual
components. It is up to the consumer to decide what is their preference. In your
case it appears that assaying for individual substances within an herb is
important, but for most people this is not as important an issue. Just because
an herb is not assayed for each of its substances (and there are dozens or
hundreds in each herb) each time a new batch of raw material is bought does not
necessarily mean that the product is inferior. It is just too expensive and time
consuming to test each batch for these dozens of substances or molecules.
Q. I would like to know what the highest
reasonable dose of gotu kola is? I have epilepsy during the last year I have
tried 5 different drugs non works with out making me fell horrible, I simply
cant live taking any of those drugs. I’m sure gotu kola might have both long and
short term side effects, but any way I don’t think its worse than the regular
medications; and the short term side effects seams to be wary mild. I see this
as a possible solution for me. A side from how large dos one can take I would
like to know if gato kola really is in treating epilepsy? It is mention
frequently for this condition how ever nothing is mention, and no studies
exists, abbot how effective it really is? Is gotu kola comparable to regular
epilepsy drugs, and in that case in what dose?
A. One rodent study showed the combination of gotu kola and drugs
used for epilepsy showed better anti-convulsant activity. However, as of
September 2007, we cannot find any human studies with gotu kola treatment for
patients with a seizure disorder.
Supplements and Herbal Index tongkat ali home page
gotu kola
benefits
Q. Male Age: 28. Medications: No
pharmaceutical drugs at the moment. Herbal treatments: Gotu kola, ginseng,
ginkgo biloba. I am not exactly sure what causes my mental distress (ocd, social
phobia, bipolar symptoms while still being phobic, depression, anxiety, anger
and so on). Very calm on the outside and overly polite (though sometimes wanting
to just behave socially neutral or non-friendly even). Got crash course
diagnosed as bipolar after ending up in hospital with never ending micro
seizures and perceived oncoming grand mal, muscle stiffness, confusion... Had a
couple of epileptic episodes in my youth, so the sensation is familiar. Not sure
if it was an adverse reaction to the SSRI I had been on for 12 days (zoloft), or
if the doctor was correct. It felt like taking at time travel in the land of
suppressed emotion since childhood. Lovely at first and really scary after week
one. If the doctor was correct my diagnosis is bipolar 2. So that was that. On
to the good thing!
Ginkgo biloba: When taking 4-7 (sometimes less will do fine)
teaspoons of dried leaf, and letting it boil for around ten minutes, I get rid
off most of my anxiety / excessive worrying in a flash. Just a couple of minutes
is all it takes. Works every time. Mood is also improved (probably because it's
nice not to fear). Social anxiety is not improved.
Gotu Kola (centella asiatica): Wonderful herb. Letting 2 teaspoons
(dried herb) boil for around 10 minutes eases a lot of anxiety and social
anxiety, within minutes after drinking. I notice a mood stabilizing effect
similar to Zyprexa, but without the slight sedation and numbing of emotions.
(Got a couple of those at the psychiatric ward to help with sleep, until the
sertraline was out of my system.) When I'm down in anger / self pity land
it picks me up. When I'm closer to the sun it gently drags me down, still
letting me look at it and feel content about the appropriate feelings that
brings. Hope this will help some stressed out and moody people out there.
Passion Rx with herbs, no ginseng gotu kola research
Index of Supplements and Herbs by Ray Sahelian, M.D.