Food for the brain

Do you know that there is an oriental herb that has a stimulating effect on the brain? I am referring to gotu kola, a creeping plant that grows in our country as well as in other countries like India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, South Africa, Japan, China, Indonesia and the South Pacific.

The botanical name of gotu kola is centella asiatica. Other common names are March pennywort, Indian pennywort, hydrocotyle, brahmi, and luei gong gen. The last is the Chinese name of gotu kola.

Gotu kola has been used for centuries as an alternative medicine for the effective treatment of a variety of health problems. In the United States, for example gotu kola is already popular to treat some health conditions despite the fact that the health properties of gotu kola have not yet been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Gotu kola should not be confused with kola nut (cola nitida). Kola nut is an active ingredient in coca cola. Gotu kola – considered by many as one of the best herbal tonics to put our bodies into a healthy state is a tasteless, odorless plant that grows best in and around water. The herb has small fan-shaped green leaves and white or light purple-to-pink flowers. It also bears small oval fruits. It is the leaves and the stems of the gotu kola plant that have medicinal properties.

Gotu kola can be taken internally/orally as a tablet or capsule. Or can be used as a topical preparation as tea or tincture and applied externally to heal a number of diseases that I will mention later. There are however some side effects that should be familiar to those who would like to take gotu kola.

While gotu kola has medicinal properties to heal a number of conditions, it is best-known as a “food for the brain.” Unknown to many gotu kola has for thousands of years been used to improve mental functions such as concentration and memory. It also improves the learning capabilities. Cases have also been documented showing that gotu kola can reverse some of the memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Even developmentally disabled children have been found to have improved their concentration and attention levels after taking gotu kola for at least 12 weeks.

Gotu kola also promotes healthy skin; heals ulcerations of the bladder; treats cellulite and varicose veins; speeds up the wound healing process; fortifies the immunity system; revitalizes nerves; promotes long life; treats syphilis, hepatitis, stomach ulcers, epilepsy, diarrhea, fever and asthma; lowers high blood pressure; combats stress and anxiety; minimizes the swelling effect of psoriatic arthritis; arthritis of the spine and rheumatoid arthritis. It is also a mild diuretic.

Because of the awesome health benefits of gotu kola, the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) and the Bureau of Food and Drug Administration (BFAD) of the Department of Health should conduct more researches and studies on gotu kola. Both our domestic and export businesses will certainly be benefited by more government interest and support to entities that are exploring at the vast health and medicinal potentials of gotu kola.