Gotu Kola is a plant native to India, which has various medicinal benefits in Ayurveda. It is used to treat various health conditions such as hepatitis, syphilis, mental fatigue, diarrhea, fever and stomach ulcers. The botanical name of Gotu Kola is Centella Asiatica, which belongs to the family Apiaceae. Other popular names of the plant are Indian Pennywort, Jal Brahmi, Artayniya-e Hindi, Brahma-manduki and Brahmi.
Gotu Kola mainly inhabits waterlogged places. The plant is rich in various chemicals such as asiaticoside, brahminoside, Indocentelloside, brahmoside, isothankuniside and thankuniside. The plant is commonly found in tropical areas of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Madagaskar and South Africa. Some health benefits of Gotu Kola are discussed in this article.
Health Benefits of Gotu Kola
Some health benefits of Gotu Kola are as follows:
- Leprosy — Gotu kola is used to treat leprosy and also for general improvement of a person. The herb has been used traditionally to treat leprosy condition.
- Youthfulness — When the raw leaves are eaten in salad form, it helps maintain youthfulness. Leaves decoction is used to relieve hypertension.
- Brain Tonic — The herb is used as a brain tonic and stimulator which revitalizes the nervous system and the brain. It also increases concentration and attention of a person.
- Open Sores — Leaves poultice can be used to treat open sores.
- Dysentery — Roots of Gotu kola should be taken with licorice and milk for treatment of diarrhea.
- Fevers — Gotu kola leaves should be used to treat all kinds of fevers. Gotu kola leaves should be grounded with ocimum leaves and pepper for this purpose.
- Memory Enhancement — The herb is used for enhancing the memory.
- High Blood Pressure — The herb is also used to lower the high blood pressure and easing the anxiety.
The above are some of the health benefits of Gotu kola herb. Excess amounts of the herb can lead to transient unconsciousness and headaches.
