I've been taking this Brand of 435mg of Gotu Kola daily now for the past 3 months & I am really feeling the benefits of it now, so thought I'd share it in here..

~Ꮙℓἇ∂ἇ

Gotu Kola:
The Many Benefits of the Ancient Herb of Enlightenment and Longevity

In nature, form follows function. It should come as no surprise then, that one of Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine’s most treasured herbal medicines, Gotu Kola (Sanskrit: Brahmi, Latin: Centella asiatica), is highly reminiscent of the shape of the human brain. After all, it has been revered for thousands of years for its ability to enhance cognitive

function. But Gotu Kola’s impressive list of benefits go much further than that—in every sense, this herb is a veritable panacea of healing; a true adaptogen (a term used to describe herbs that have a balancing and harmonizing effect on the mind, body and spirit). For this reason, it was highly prized in both ancient India and China, with references to the plant showing up in classical Ayurvedic and Daoist medical texts.

1. Improved Brain Function & Longevity

In both countries and across Asia on the whole, Gotu Kola was known as a longevity herb. The Daoist master and herbalist Li Ching-Yuen was, in his time, a famous proponent and user of the plant. Ancient Chinese medical texts report that he died at the ripe age of 256 years old and attribute his longevity in large part to the use of Gotu Kola on a daily basis. While the accuracy of these records is up for debate, the fact is that Gotu Kola is a well studied herb, and the vast majority of its healing and therapeutic properties, including its ability to measurably prolong life, have been documented and validated by the scientific community.It’s life-extending properties are most likely due to a synergistic combination of its powerful effects on the mind, body and spirit—in every sense, the whole person. The plant’s benefits range from greatly improving memory and restoring brain cell and nerve function to improving blood quality and circulation, restoring digestion and speeding the healingof wounds.

2. Increased Intelligence & Cognitive Functioning

Of particular interest in our fast-paced, intellectually demanding modern world is Gotu Kola’s ability to enhance nearly every aspect of mental functioning. Typically herbs or substances that can achieve such feats are highly stimulating; however, Gotu Kola is centering, which makes it ideal for anyone looking for a cognitive boost without any of the unwanted and imbalancing side effects of stimulants. In one study, children who took a half a gram of Gotu Kola extract powder every day for one year demonstrated significant improvement of their intellectual level. After six months, there was a substantial improvement in intelligence, cognitive function and concentration.

3. Rebuilds the Nervous System & Reduces Anxiety and Stress

In Ayurvedic medicine, the effects of Gotu Kola classify it as a rasayana, or rejuvenative herb, due to its ability to restore functioning, balance and health to many parts of the mind and body. For example, it is an extremely healing herb for the nervous system and has been shown to repair and restore axons , which are used to transmit nerve impulses throughout the brain and body. As such, it has been used as an anti-anxiety, anti-stress and anti-insomnia medicine throughout its long history of human use. 

Legend has it that Sri Lankan’s observed Elephants eating wild growing Gotu Kola and decided to try it themselves, then discovering the plant’s medicinal properties. photo: schmodder photocase.com

The ability of Gotu Kola to improve blood quality and circulation  is likely one of the main components of its rejuvenative effects, as our blood comes into contact with and nourishes nearly every single area of our mind and body, supplying oxygen and other essential nutrients.

4. Psycho-Spiritual Effects: The Herb of Enlightenment

Gotu Kola has long been a favorite herb of Daoists, monks, yogis and sages due to its unique cerebral effects. Many Ayurvedic texts reference the herb’s spiritually enhancing properties, poetically referring to it as the ‘Herb of Enlightenment’. Meditators in particular have sought the plant out for its ability to harmonize the right and left brain hemispheres, which produces a heightened state of awareness, commonly seen in people demonstrating what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has popularized as flow states—states where one becomes intensely absorbed with the activity at hand, in which learning and brain circuitry are significantly enhanced.