Therapeutic Uses
- Wounds – One compound in gotu kola, asiaticoside, speeds wound healing. Another, madecassoside, is an anti-inflammatory. Gotu kola accelerates the healing of burns and minimizes scarring. The herb accelerates the healing of skin grafts and surgical enlargement of the vagina during childbirth.
- Stretch Marks – Researchers gave 100 pregnant women either a placebo cream or one containing extract of gotu kola. Those using the gotu kola cream were less than half as likely to develop stretch marks.
- Psoriasis – One study showed that a cream made with gotu kola can help relieve the painful, scaly red welts of psoriasis. If you have psoriasis, you might try compresses of gotu kola infusion.
- High Blood Pressure – In one study, researchers gave either placebos or gotu kola extract to 89 people with high blood pressure. Those taking the herb experienced a significant drop in their blood pressures.
- Anxiety – Canadian researchers gave anxiety sufferers either a placebo or 12 grams of gotu kola daily and then subjected them to sudden loud noises. The gotu kola group reacted with significantly less physiological anxiety.
- Diabetes – Diabetes impairs circulation through the smallest blood vessels, which over time causes most of the complications of the disease. Gotu kola improves circulation through these blood vessels.
- Varicose Veins – Gotu kola improves bloodflow through the lower limbs, helping to prevent varicose veins.
- Leprosy – The bacteria that cause leprosy have a waxy coating that protects them against attack by the immune system. The asiaticoside in gotu kola dissolves the waxy coating, allowing the immune system to destroy the bacteria.
Medicinal Uses: * African * Burns * Cellulite * Cuts & Wounds * Eczema * Memory/Focus
Gotu Kola Side Effects: Be cautious if you are taking prescription drugs for depression, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. Extremely large doses might cause nausea.
Gotu Kola Drug Interactions: Taking gotu kola along with sedative medications (clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan), phenobarbital (Donnatal), zolpidem (Ambien), and others) might cause too much sleepiness. Taking gotu kola along with medication that might also harm the liver can increase the risk of liver damage. Some medications that can harm the liver include acetaminophen (Tylenol and others), amiodarone (Cordarone), carbamazepine (Tegretol), isoniazid (INH), methotrexate (Rheumatrex), methyldopa (Aldomet), fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), erythromycin (Erythrocin, Ilosone, others), phenytoin (Dilantin), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), simvastatin (Zocor), and many others.
