Centella asiatica – Gotu Kola

PARTS USED:

• Leaves

USES:

Alterative

Anti-diabetic/Metabolic Syndrome

• Inhibits weight gain
• Lowers blood glucose levels; improves insulin resistance
• Reduces overall inflammation and improves oxidative stress that leads to DM2

Antimicrobial

• Reduces Helicobacter pylori colonization in the GI tract
• In vitro and in vivo studies show its effectiveness against Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis
• May inhibit Herpes Simplex II

Anti-inflammatory

• Inhibits the inflammatory process
• Reduces oxidative stress; improves mitochondrial function

Anticarcinogen

• Radioprotection
• Fights free radicals – slows the growth of cancer cells, and in some instances kills them outright
• Helps prevent ovarian and breast cancers
• May be of benefit in preventing certain lung cancers

CV/Pulmonary

• Protects the vascular intima, helps preventing atherosclerosis (clinical trials)
• Reduces venous blood pressure
• May reduce hypertension
• Reduces oxidative stress of vessels
• Protects retinal blood vessels
• Studies suggest it can decrease venous pressure in people with vascular insufficiency
• Reduces lower extremity edema
• Cardioprotective effects
• Improves microcirculation in diabetics
• Improves pulmonary fibrosis and COPD

Diuretic

Emmenagogue

• Helps reduce endometriosis
• Relieves Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

GI

• Helps improve digestive disorders by reducing inflammation
• Helps with liver fibrosis
• Adjunct treatment for acute pancreatitis
• Reduces ulcer formation
• Promotes periodontal tissue regeneration

Musculoskeletal/Connective Tissue

• Improves tissue in vascular walls – helps with venous insufficiency
• Proliferation of fibroblasts – specialized cells responsible for producing and maintaining the structure of connective tissue
• Promotes tissue repair after surgery/injuries such as sprains, fractures, bruising, burns, various wounds
• Osteoporosis – potentially inhibits the formation of osteoclasts
• Osteolytic bone disease
• Increases vascularization surrounding connective tissue

• Increases the formation of structural glycosaminoglycans (chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid – good for joints
• Helpful with varicose veins

Nervous System – Most clinical studies on Centella’s neuroprotective effects have focused on Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and learning and memory issues, but there have been studies looking at its effects on depression, anxiety, neurotoxicity and epilepsy

• Adaptogen
• Increases cerebral blood circulation
• Nervine
• Used as a sedative in many Eastern cultures – mild tranquilizing effect
• Anti-anxiety
• Promotes clarity, increased focus – used as a meditation aid in the Himalayan cultures
• Calming actions which don’t interfere with alertness
• Increases GABA levels
• Anodyne
• Adjunct with anticonvulsants – helps with seizure reduction
• Improves memory – called ‘Elder Medicine’ in Hawai’i because it helps improve memory
• Balances amino acids to help prevent depression
• Helps with the emotional and physiological stress of trauma/PTSD
• Improves cognition – good for dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s
• Thought to help with Tourette’s Syndrome in children
• Studies (rats) show it provides protection against neuronal injury and neurodegeneration
• Used as a tonic, it has significant effects on the health of the peripheral nervous system

Skin/Wound

• Believed to have an effect on keratinization – aids in thickening of the skin in areas of infection, increasing tensile strength in newly formed skin
• Increases collagen production and cellular proliferation
• Good for burns
• Vulnerary – increase fibroblasts
• Promotes tissue repair after surgery
• Stimulates keratinization and epidermal repair – minimizes scarring; increases tensile strength of the dermis
• Improves hair and nail health
• Speeds wound healing – increases skin collagen levels (in vitro studies) – increases antioxidant levels in wounds
• Inhibits keloids; minimizes stretch mark formation (in vivo studies)
• Inhibits photoaging of the skin; reduces cellulite
• Psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, vitiligo, cold sores, , scleroderma, dry skin