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Gotu kola

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) has been used to treat many conditions for thousands of years in India, China, and Indonesia. It was used to heal wounds, improve mental clarity, and treat skin conditions such as leprosy and psoriasis.

Some people use it to treat respiratory infections, such as colds, and in the past it was used for that in China. It has been called "the fountain of life" because legend has it that an ancient Chinese herbalist lived for more than 200 years as a result of taking gotu kola.

Historically, gotu kola has also been used to treat syphilis, hepatitis, stomach ulcers, mental fatigue, epilepsy, diarrhea, fever, and asthma. Today, in the U.S. and Europe gotu kola is most often used to treat varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where blood pools in the legs. It is also used in ointments to treat psoriasis and help heal minor wounds.

Gotu kola is not the same as kola nut (Cola nitida). Unlike kola nut, gotu kola does not have caffeine and is not a stimulant.

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Plant Description

Gotu kola is a perennial plant native to India, Japan, China, Indonesia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the South Pacific. A member of the parsley family, it has no taste or smell. It thrives in and around water. It has small fan-shaped green leaves with white or light purple-to-pink flowers and small oval fruit. The leaves and stems of the gotu kola plant are used as medicine.

Medicinal Uses and Indications

Treatment

Venous insufficiency and varicose veins

When blood vessels lose their elasticity, blood pools in the legs and fluid leaks out of the blood vessels. That causes the legs to swell (venous insufficiency). Several small studies suggest gotu kola may help reduce swelling and improve blood flow. In a study of 94 people with venous insufficiency, those who took gotu kola saw their symptoms improve compared to those who took a placebo.

One study also found that people who took gotu kola before flying had less ankle and leg swelling than those who did not take it.

Wound healing and skin lesions

Gotu kola has chemicals called triterpenoids. In animal and lab studies, these compounds seem to help heal wounds. For example, some studies suggest that triterpenoids strengthen the skin, boost antioxidants in wounds, and increase blood supply to the area. Based on these findings, gotu kola has been applied to the skin, or used topically, for minor burns, psoriasis, preventing scars after surgery, and preventing or reducing stretch marks.

You can find gotu kola in many creams for wound healing. Ask your health care provider if one is right for you.

Dosage and Administration

Gotu kola is available in teas and as dried herbs, tinctures, capsules, tablets, and ointments. Products should be stored in a cool, dry place and used before the expiration date on the label.

Precautions

Gotu kola has been used in some studies that lasted up to one year. However, gotu kola has the potential to be harmful to the liver. It is best not to use gotu kola for more than 6 weeks without talking to your doctor. You may need to take a 2-week break before taking the herb again.

People with liver disease, or who take medications that affect the liver, should not take gotu kola. Ask your doctor if you take any prescription medications, or often take over-the-counter pain relievers.

Side Effects

Side effects are rare but may include skin allergy and burning sensations with external use, headache, stomach upset, nausea, dizziness, and extreme drowsiness. These tend to happen with high doses of gotu kola.

Interactions and Depletions

Gotu kola may interact with the following medications:

Drugs that affect the liver: Gotu kola contains things that may hurt a person's liver, and taking it along with some other medications that also can harm the liver may cause liver damage.

Diabetes medications: In animal studies, gotu kola seems to increase blood sugar levels. People with diabetes should not take gotu kola without first talking to their doctor.

Diuretics (water pills): Gotu kola seems to act like a diuretic, meaning it helps the body get rid of excess fluid. Taking diuretic medications and gotu kola could cause your body to lose too much fluid, upsetting the balance of electrolytes you need. The same is true of taking gotu kola with herbs that have diuretic effects, such as green tea, astragalus, or gingko.

Sedatives: Because gotu kola acts like a sedative, it might make some drugs taken for anxiety or insomnia stronger. The same is true for herbs taken for anxiety or insomnia, such as valerian.

Supporting Research

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Antani JA, Kulkarni RD, Antani NJ. Effect of abana on ventricular function in ischemic heart disease. Jpn Heart J. Nov 1990:829-835.

Ahshawat MS, Saraf S, Saraf S. Preparation and characterization of herbal creams for improvement of skin viscoelastic properties. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2008;30(3):183-193. PMID: 18452435 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18452435/.

Belcaro GV, Rulo A, Grimaldi R. Capillary filtration and ankle edema in patients with venous hypertension treated with TTFCA. Angiology. 1990;41(1):12-18. PMID: 2305995 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2305995/.

Biswas TK, Mukherjee B. Plant medicines of Indian origin for wound healing activity: a review. Int J Low Extrem Wounds. 2003;2(1):25-39. PMID: 15866825 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15866825/.

Bradwejn J, Zhou Y, Koszycki D, Shlik J. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study on the effects of Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) on acoustic startle response in healthy subjects. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2000;20(6):680-684. PMID: 11106141 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11106141/.

Brinkhaus B, Lindner M, Schuppan D, Hahn EG. Chemical, pharmacological and clinical profile of the East Asian medical plant Centella asiatica. Phytomed. 2000;7(5):427-448. PMID: 11081995 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11081995/.

Cauffield JS, Forbes HJ. Dietary supplements used in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. Lippincotts Prim Care Pract. 1999;3(3):290-304. PMID: 10711131 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10711131/.

Cesarone MR, Incandela L, De Sanctis MT, et al. Flight microangiopathy in medium- to long-distance flights: prevention of edema and microcirculation alterations with total triterpenic fraction of Centella asiatica. Angiology. 2001;52 Suppl 2:S33-S37. PMID: 11666121 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11666121/.

Gohil KJ, Patel JA, Gajjar AK. Pharmacological review on Centella asiatica: a potential herbal cure-all. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2010;72(5):546-556. PMID: 21694984 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3116297/.

Ivanov V, Ivanova S, Kalinovsky T, Niedzwiecki A, Rath M. Plant-derived micronutrients suppress monocyte adhesion to cultured human aortic endothelial cell layer by modulating its extracellular matrix composition. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2008;52(1):55-65. PMID: 18594473 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18594473/.

Jana U, Sur TK, Maity LN, Debnath PK, Bhattacharyya D. A clinical study on the management of generalized anxiety disorder with Centella asiatica. Nepal Med Coll J. 2010;12(1):8-11. PMID: 20677602 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20677602/.

Kuhn MA, Winston D. Herbal Therapy and Supplements: A Scientific and Traditional Approach. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott; 2007.

Legiawati L, Bramono K, Idriatmi W, et al. Oral and topical Centella asiatica in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with dry skin: a three-arm prospective randomized double-blind controlled trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020;2020:7253560. PMID 32908567 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7471832/.

Philips CA, Ahamed R, Rajesh S, George T, Mohanan M, Augustine P. Comprehensive review of hepatotoxicity associated with traditional Indian Ayurvedic herbs. World J Hepatol. 2020;12(9):574-595. PMID: 33033566 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7522561/.

Phoemsapthawee J, Ammawat W, Prasertsri P, Sathalalai P, Leelayuwat N. Does gotu kola supplementation improve cognitive function, inflammation, and oxidative stress more than multicomponent exercise alone? – a randomized controlled study. J Exerc Rehabil. 2022;18(5):330-342. PMID: 36420467 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9650315/.

Pittella F, Dutra RC, Junior DD, Lopes MTP, Barbosa NR. Antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of Centella asiatica (L) Urb. Int J Mol Sci. 2009;10(9):3713-3721. PMID: 19865514 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19865514/.

Pointel JP, Boccalon H, Cloarec M, Ledevehat C, Joubert M. Titrated extract of Centella asiatica (TECA) in the treatment of venous insufficiency of the lower limbs. Angiology. 1987;38(1 Pt 1):46-50. PMID: 3544968 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3544968/.

Shukla A, Rasik AM, Dhawan BN. Asiaticoside-induced elevation of antioxidant levels in healing wounds. Phytother Res. 1999;13(1):50-54. PMID: 10189951 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10189951/.

Singh RH, Narsimhamurthy K, Singh G. Neuronutrient impact of Ayurvedic Rasayana therapy in brain aging. Biogerontology. 2008;9(6):369-374. PMID: 18931935 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18931935/.

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Wollina U, Abdel-Nasar MB, Mani R. A review of the microcirculation in skin in patients with chronic venous insufficiency: the problem and the evidence available for therapeutic options. Int J Low Extrem Wounds. 2006;5(3):169-180. PMID: 16928673 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16928673/.

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Zhao Y, Shu P, Zhang Y, et al. Effect of Centella asciatica on oxidative stress and lipid metabolism in hyperlipidemic animal models. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2014;2014:154295. PMID: 24829618 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4009232/.

Related Information

Review Date: 3/25/2015

Reviewed By: Steven D. Ehrlich, NMD, Solutions Acupuncture, a private practice specializing in complementary and alternative medicine, Phoenix, AZ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Editorial update 01/18/2024.

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