Description

A moisture loving creeping, perennial, C. asiatica has large, rounded leaves (up to 4 cm across) thay have a clearly visible network of veins. The leaves have scalloped edges (crenate) and are notched where they join the petiole (stalk), this is a feature that distinguishes them from Hydrocotyle species which are often mistaken for Centella. The petioles are green with a purplish tinge in most cases and arize from creeping stolons (underground stems). Leaf size and petiole length vary a lot depending on the amount of sunlight the plant receives – the leaves tend to be larger on plants growing in the shade, and the petiole up to 20 cm long.

Flowers are small and white, with 5 petals and grow in clusters on the end of stalks (pedicles).

Gotu Kola is also called ‘Brahmi’ in some herbal products, websites and books. The confusion, I think comes from the fact that in southern and eastern India, Bacopa is called ‘Brahmi’ but in northern and western India, Centella asiatica is called by that name. They are totally different plants, physically, though they’re often grouped together medicinally, as you will see from reading this page and the one on Brahmi (being written as you read this) they have different properties.

Medicinal use

Gotu Kola (C. asiatica is known) in parts of Asia as “snow plant” for its cooling properties. It is these properties that are foremost in its healing abilities, even the stimulation ones. Of course, the healing a powers of the plant depend on how it is used – fresh or dried.

The fresh green juice is rich in vitamin A and is commonly drunk in the afternoon throughout parts of Asia as a thirst quencher or as a cooling drink to reduce “inner heat and in Thailand, a brew of the fresh leaves is used as an afternoon stimulant. A decoction of juice from the leaves is used to relieve hypertension, and a poultice of the fresh leaves is used to treat wounds (especially inflamed ones). I think the stimulating effect may come from the fact that the herb is so cooling that it frees up energy that is suppressed by the hot daily weather and becomes invigorating.

Powder made from the dried leaves of Gotu Kola can be used mixed with honey and used against insomnia, or mixed with water and drunk or applied to the chest as a warm compress used to treat coughs and tuberculosis.

The dried leaves are used as a tea to relieve hypertension and to treat severe sore eyes and hypersensitivity to strong light . while fresh green leaves, crushed and wrapped in a thin cloth, are used as an eye mask – in both cases a cooling effect. The plant is also used to help with, skin diseases such as eczema, leprosy, itching, rashes, and sores – all red and inflamed conditions (except maybe for Leprosy, I’m fortunate not to have seen that terrible disease in person).

Gotu Kola is said to move the blood and in inflamed conditions, that would have a local cooling effect. It is used for damp and stagnant tissue states, so moving the blood and fluid can help clear those states.

I find, from personal experience, that Gotu Kola moves energy downwards and outwards – it is a potent diuretic (relieves damp and stagnation) and calms my mind when it is too full of thoughts and anxiety. I think that is the key to its ability to relieve anxiety and enhance cognition – by moving cluttered energy from the head, it helps clarify thinking and enhances mental focus. This downward, clearing of mental energy could also point to one of the ‘side effects of Gotu Kola, sleepiness. I suppose it depends on whether you want to be sleepy or not but as sleep is a key pillar of good health, I suppose as much of it that you can get is a good thing unless you’re driving, performing surgery or flying a plane of course!

It is used to control phlegm and to treat urine retention, painful urination, blood in the urine through its cooling and diuretic properties and it is also traditionally used as a poison neutralizer, probably through its support of the Liver. That can also point to the use of Gotu Kola in Opium detoxification. All of those conditions benefit from it’s clearing energetic.

Preparing and using Gotu Kola

Throughout Asia, Centella asiatica is used as a green leafy vegetable and its healing properties ingested that way but fresh, green juice is the most widely used way to prepare and take Gotu Kola as a remedy. Crushed leaves can be used as a poultice. It’s such a moist, cooling herb that, like Chickweed or Cleavers, I wouldn’t tincture it but make a succus from it. Gotu Kola is also great as a fresh or dried herb infusion. It can then be used internally or externally as a wash.

In Thailand, a sugary drink called Nam Bai Bua Bok is commonly drunk as an afternoon pick me up. The leaf extracts, together with sugar and honey, are consumed daily as a restorative product to treat colds and fever.

C. asiatica is an important part of Brahma Rasayana (Ayurvedic formulation) , a complex mixture of herbs and fruits in a paste form, taken with warm milk as a cerebral tonic for mental exhaustion, nervous weakness, insomnia, and memory loss.

---

Other herb pages on Ligaya Garden

We cover a lot of ground on many herb related topics here on our website. There are whole pages devoted to different topics as well as frequent posts. Some of the links are –

Garden Herbs

Wild Herbs

Making Remedies

Mushroom medicine

---

---

---