Gotu kola is a tropical plant which has been used as a medicinal herb for thousands of years in southeast Asian countries such as India, Sri Lanka and China. It has also been referred to by the name brahmi but most authorities associate brahmi with Bacopa monniera. Also known as Indian pennywort, gotu kola is recognised for its rapid healing and anti-inflammatory qualities and its ability to improve memory, anxiety and depression. It is one of the chief herbs for treating skin problems, varicose veins, to heal wounds, for revitalizing the nerves and brain cells and is well known as a universal panacea for promoting longevity. This beguiling promise of longevity through cell regeneration is the herb’s main attraction.
Gotu kola has high nutritional value and in Sri Lanka, where it is known as the secret of perpetual youth, it has been a staple food in many households for generations. There it is served in a popular breakfast porridge known as kola (which means leaf in Sinhala) kanda, a nutritious mix of red rice, fresh coconut, garlic, pepper, salt and a blend of green leaves. It is used for general wellbeing and especially beneficial for the sick, elderly or arthritic. In fact a Sri Lankan legend has it that people observed elephants, an animal renowned for its longevity, eating wild growing gotu kola and decided to try it themselves thus discovering the plant’s medicinal properties and giving credence to the saying ‘to have a memory like an elephant’. This led to the Sinhalese proverb, ‘two leaves a day keep old age away’.
When the ‘doctrine of signatures’ (some visible or other clue that indicates a plant’s therapeutic use) is considered gotu kola leaf looks very much like the human brain, particularly the cerebellum portion, bringing to attention the mind strengthening and cognitive supportive aspects of this herb. A human clinical study aimed at managing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and other age-related problems in the elderly returned positive results. MCI is a problem which may convert into Alzheimer’s disease in later stages. In 60 people aged 65 and above gotu kola aqueous extract was prescribed in a dose of 500mg twice a day (1000mg daily) for six months. A favourable improvement was observed in MCI along with other problems like hypertension, insomnia, loss of appetite and constipation.
References
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