Centella Asiatica is a herbaceous, perennial plant that grows in temperate and tropical swampy areas in many regions of the world. The stems are green to reddish-green, with slender, creeping stolons connecting plants. It has green, long-stalked, rounded apices which have smooth texture with palmately netted veins. The leaves are borne on pericardial petioles, around 2 cm. The rootstock consists of rhizomes that grow vertically down. They are covered with root hairs and creamish. The flowers are born in small, rounded bunches near the surface of the soil and have white or crimson. Each flower contains five stamens and two styles. The fruit is densely reticulate, smooth, ribbed, or warty fruit. In three months The crop matures and the whole plant, including the roots, is harvested manually.
Benefits:
- It has a mild laxative effect and is used as a tonic for nervous debility and seminal weakness.
- It is an excellent drug for gonorrhea, leprosy, leucorrhoea jaundice, and many types of skin diseases.
- It is also useful for treating nearly all types of syphilitic skin diseases.
Side effects :
Centella asiatica’s side effects are rare but may include headache, nausea, stomach upset, dizziness, extreme drowsiness and also skin allergy, and burning sensations with external use which tend to occur with high doses of the herb.
Precaution :
- Avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding but it is possibly safe when applied to the skin.
- Avoid those who have liver disease that increases the risk of liver damage.
- Avoid surgery due to it cause too much sleepiness.
Interaction:
- Hepatotoxic drugs interact with Gotu kola which can increase the risk of liver damage.
- CNS depressants are sedatives that interact with Gotu kola that might cause breathing problems or too much sleepiness.
Dosage form:
It’s available in creams, gels, and ointments forms. Advice a healthcare technician to find out what type of product and dose might be best for a specific condition.
Dosing:
In Gotu kola extract, Adults doses of 60-450 mg daily for 4-12 months by oral route.
