Gotu kola is an herb that was used in many ancient medical practices and is still used today in alternative medicine. This herb has been used for general wellness purposes and as an anti-aging aid, and it has been used as a specific treatment for a variety of ailments. Gotu kola benefits are believed by many alternative medicine practitioners to include relief from depression, decreased risk of blood clots, detoxification of harmful substances, treatment for hepatitis, and even to help prevent attacks of epilepsy.
The leaves of the gotu kola plant contain a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and other medicinal-like compounds. This includes several substances with anti-inflammatory properties, plenty of B vitamins, amino acids for protein building, and crucial minerals like calcium and magnesium. It is also thought to contain compounds that are anti-viral and anti-bacterial.
In many African countries, gotu kola benefits are thought to include the ability to help prevent or fight leprosy by increasing the body’s immune function. It is also used for respiratory infections and used topically to help speed up wound healing and prevent them from becoming infected. Gotu kola is a frequent treatment for parasite infestations.
This herb has a long history in the East. It is presently used in China to prolong youthfulness. In Indian ayurvedic medicine, it is used to soothe stress and to prevent fluid build-up in the body, or edema, and to fight mental fatigue. Many yoga practitioners claim that one of the gotu kola benefits is that it helps with meditation by increasing a person’s ability to focus.
Another one of the gotu kola benefits is improved circulation. Although the power of gotu kola to aid circulation has not been scientifically established, there is some hope that gotu kola supplements may help stop the formation of blood clots in people who are immobile for long periods of time, such as people who are bedridden or on a long flight. One of the serious effects of diabetes is poor circulation caused by damage to blood vessels, and gotu kola may help improve circulation in these people.
Gotu kola benefits may also include help for stomach ulcers and chronic urinary tract infections. This is probably due to the anti-bacterial nature of gotu kola. It may also help people with certain types of anemia resulting from low levels of B vitamins.
Finally, gotu kola appears to be able to increase collagen production, and this is the reason it has been used for centuries to heal wounds. Loss of collagen is one of the main reasons that skin becomes less elastic and has a tendency to sag with age. For this reason, one of the gotu kola benefits may be to prevent age-associated collagen loss. Gotu kola is also said to enhance metabolism, and for this reason, it is often one of the many ingredients in herbal weight loss supplements.