Gotu Kola Can Help

According to the book Planetary Herbology, gotu kola was thought by indigenous people to be effective for the brain because the leaf looks like the two halves of the brain.

As it turns out, recent science has shown that gotu kola does have a positive effect on the brain. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, gotu kola contains triterpenoids, which decreases anxiety and increases mental function in mice. One study on humans, according to UMM, showed that people who took gotu kola were less startled by a new noise than those who took the placebo.

One way gotu kola is used, is that it is slightly warmed in oil and then massaged into the scalp. It is also made as a tea, and the powder can be snorted so it gets closer to the brain.

Gotu kola is a sedative. It is said to aid meditation by helping the nervous system relax. Relaxing the nervous system is often a goal of treating mental disturbances.

Gotu kola is used in treating other conditions as well:

• Venous insufficiency and varicose veins

• Wound healing and skin lesions

• Scleroderma

• Insomnia

Source:

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/gotu-kola-000253.htm