Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) Tea

Scientific Name: Centella asiatica

Health Benefits

• Brain-related Effects  In a small clinical study, results suggest that older adults—with a mean age of roughly 65 years old—may benefit from gotu kola. In fact, older adults experienced better moods. What’s more, the study participants showed improved cognitive function.3 Cognitive function may include the following abilities:

1. Attention
2. Decision-making
3. Learning
4. Memory
5. Problem-solving
6. Reasoning
7. Thinking

• Blood Circulation

Historically, gotu kola had many uses. Today, it might be used as a phlebotonic (tones the walls of veins). In other words, people might use it for chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).

CVI is a medical condition that tends to happen in your legs. In this condition, your blood vessels have trouble circulating (moving) blood back toward the heart. So, you may have some swelling as the blood pools in your legs. People with CVI may also experience ulcers.

In a systematic review, phlebotonics—like gotu kola—slightly relieved swelling compared to a placebo (a substance without medication). But gotu kola didn’t seem to heal any ulcers. Since these studies were short-term, well-designed clinical trials are still necessary with longer-term data in a larger group of people.

• Wound Healing

In a small clinical trial, gotu kola was compared to silver sulfadiazine (SSD) in study participants with burn wounds. In this study, gotu kola was in an ointment dosage form called Centiderm.

Results from this clinical trial suggest that Centiderm may benefit people with burn wounds. But in this study, the burn wounds had to be less than 10 percent of the total body surface area (TBSA) and be on the limbs (arms or legs). Moreover, the burn wounds had to be only 48 hours old or less.

However, in another small study, herbal creams—like gotu kola—didn’t seem to prevent or delay radiodermatitis. The study participants received radiation in this clinical trial as part of their breast cancer treatment. And radiodermatitis is a skin reaction to or side effect of radiation.