What is the herb gotu kola good for?

Historically, gotu kola has also been used to treat syphilis, hepatitis, stomach ulcers, mental fatigue, epilepsy, diarrhea, fever, and asthma. Today, in the U.S. and Europe gotu kola is most often used to treat varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where blood pools in the legs.

What is a Gotu?

Pegged as the “herb of longevity,” gotu kola is a staple in traditional Chinese, Indonesian, and Ayurvedic medicine. Practitioners claim the medicinal plant has the power to boost brainpower, heal skin issues, and promote liver and kidney health — and some studies seem to agree.

What plants contain triterpenoids?

A significant amount of triterpenoid saponins are found in foods such as beans, soybeans, spinach, lentils, and oats. Moreover, they may be obtained from many valuable phytomedicines, such as Radix et Rhizoma Ginseng, Radix et rhizoma glycyrrhizae, and Radix astragli [1,4,5].

Can I eat gotu kola leaves?

There are no sources of gotu kola besides the plant itself. Some people eat gotu kola leaves in salad or steep them to make tea.

What is Pegaga in English?

Pegaga (Hydrocotyle vulgaris) or otherwise known as Pennywort, is a swamp plant that grows naturally in southeast Asia, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, China, Mexico, some parts of South America, and South Africa.

What are triterpenoids good for?

Triterpenoids are used for medicinal purposes in many Asian countries for antiinflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, hepatoprotective, cardiotonic, sedative and tonic effects (28, 33, 34).

Is pennywort and gotu kola the same?

Centella asiatica, known as Pennywort, Centella or Gotu Kola is a creeping, evergreen, perennial herb, that makes roots at its nodes and has kidney-shaped leaves with indented margins. Gotu Kola bears clusters of tiny inconspicuous pink flowers in groups of three, hidden under its leaves in summer.

How do you identify gotu kola?

Look for the gotu kola’s kidney bean-shaped or fan-shaped medium green leaves with serrated edges. Observe whether the veins on each leaf extend outward from a center point located at the bottom of the leaf’s split edge, like the veins on gotu kola leaves.