Gotu Kola Benefits - How This Ayurvedic Herb Supports Cognition, Sleep, and Skin Health

Posted by Nootropics Depot on 13th Jun 2019

Centella asiatica, more commonly known as Gotu Kola, is a fascinating perennial plant that finds its home in South East Asia. There it has a plethora of applications ranging from an edible ingredient that is used in salads and juices to a topical decoction used to support healthy wound healing and overall skin quality. Modern research has found evidence to support these Gotu Kola benefits which has allowed us to understand this fascinating plant on a much deeper level, thus allowing us to apply modern knowledge to age-old practices.

Gotu Kola Extract Bioavailability Optimization

Using the knowledge produced by research initiatives into Gotu Kola extract, we have found some key features about the active components in Gotu Kola that Nootropics Depot has been able to optimize. One of these key features is that the active components in Gotu Kola, referred to as triterpenes, are not very stable in stomach acid. The main active triterpene components many people go after in Gotu Kola are asiaticoside and madecassoside which easily transform into asiatic acid and madecassic acid. This is not necessarily a bad thing as asiatic acid and madecassic acid also help produce Gotu Kola benefits as well. However, a vast majority of Gotu Kola benefits are attributed to its asiaticoside and madecassoside content.

The Gotu Kola Plant

The Gotu Kola Plant (Centella asiatica)

Using modern, science-based methods, we have been able to produce Gotu Kola tablets.This protects the Gotu Kola extract from our stomach acid by utilizing an enteric coating, which resists stomach acid and allows the enteric coated Gotu Kola tablet to pass through the stomach unharmed. Once in our intestines, the contents of the enteric coated Gotu Kola tablets will begin to release, giving us the maximum benefits Gotu Kola has to offer!

Gotu Kola Infographic

Now that we know how to optimize Gotu Kola and its bioavailability, it is time to actually talk about what its benefits are! Since Gotu Kola has a plethora of reported effects, we have decided to just focus on four of the main benefits of Gotu Kola which are:

• Gotu Kola promotes collagen synthesis and healthy skin

• Gotu Kola supports healthy stress levels

• Gotu Kola supports a healthy night of sleep

• Gotu Kola promotes memory and cognitive function

Gotu Kola Benefits for Skin Health

One of the more traditional uses for Gotu Kola is to use a Gotu Kola extract topically. Gotu Kola has the ability to help replenish the skin by promoting collagen synthesis which helps keep the skin supple, firm, and above all, strong. This is why traditionally Gotu Kola was employed extensively to help promote healthy wound healing. These effects may extend to oral supplementation too, helping to optimize skin health from within. The only way this can be achieved, however, is to protect the triterpenes from our stomach acid as it degrades the main triterpene compounds responsible for enhancing skin health. This is why topical Gotu Kola works well for optimizing skin health as it is not degraded by stomach acid. As we discussed earlier, our innovative enteric coated Gotu Kola tablets help to preserve these delicate triterpene compounds, which allows them to exert their positive effects on our skin! If you want to learn more about skin health, and how Gotu Kola helps support skin health, we recommend reading our blog about skin health which can be found here.

Gotu Kola Benefits for Healthy Stress Levels

Research findings have found that Gotu Kola extract may help regulate stress levels by positively influencing the calming areas of the brain. These calming brain regions respond to a relaxing neurotransmitter called GABA and Gotu Kola has a gentle yet prominently positive influence of GABA signaling. This has been found to regulate tension related to stress which helps keep us level headed during abnormal periods of stress.

Furthermore, enhanced signaling through GABA allows for Gotu Kola to a promote a positive mood. Stress and other negative influences from our life may put us on edge and give us unpleasant feelings of nervousness. Gotu Kola extract may help smooth out this edge, allowing us to enjoy our life, and not worry about all the insignificant negative things that may be happening around us on a daily basis. It also may help increase our patience during periods of heightened irritability which can help us stay happy and focused on the important tasks at hand.

Gotu Kola Benefits for Restful Sleep

There is a large overlap between the stress regulation and mood support effects of Gotu Kola as it relates to sleep. This is largely due to the fact that a lot of these factors rely on GABA signaling. GABA is one of the main neurotransmitters responsible for slowing down brain activity which allows for efficient sleep-onset. Since Gotu Kola can help positively enhance GABA signaling in the brain, Gotu Kola extract may help us wind down at night, thus allowing us to fall asleep faster.

We cover the sleep benefits of Gotu Kola in more detail in our blog about sleep. So, if you would like to learn more about how Gotu Kola can positively benefit sleep, we would recommend giving that blog a read!

Gotu Kola Benefits for Cognitive Function

Advanced scientific studies, have shown that Gotu Kola has a very special trick up its sleeve! It has been shown that Gotu Kola can help boost the growth and health of our brain. Gotu Kola does this by positively impacting a process called neuroplasticity which helps our brain adapt and form stronger connections. This process of adaptation and strengthening connections throughout the brain allows us to efficiently take in information, process it, and store it. The more neuroplasticity is taking place in the brain, the more efficient we may become at processing incoming information and integrating it into our daily lives.

What this all means is that Gotu Kola helps support overall cognitive health. This allows us to not only learn more but to also learn more efficiently. Long term supplementation of Gotu Kola extract may help us absorb school work faster and help us to pick up and solidify new skills in the work environment more readily!

Gotu Kola: A Versatile Ayurvedic Supplement

By now, it should be relatively clear why we like Gotu Kola Extract so much at Nootropics Depot! Gotu Kola is such a versatile supplement that nearly anybody can benefit from adding a Gotu Kola extract to their daily regimen. Whether you are after healthy glowing skin or a sharp mind, Gotu Kola Extract has you covered!

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