Gotu kola leaf is an herbal plant that is known to have various benefits for the skin. In addition, there are also various benefits of gotu kola leaves for overall body health that you should not miss.
What Are Gotu Kola Leaves?
Centella asiatica or Centella asiatica is a fan-shaped green leaf that is usually grown for medicinal purposes.
Although some people know it as gotu kola, this herbal plant also has other names, such as tread horse leaf or gotu kola.
This plant from the Apiaceae family contains various bioactive compounds that act as antioxidants, antimicrobials, and antivirals.
According to Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition, 100 grams of the Centella asiatica plant contains nutrients in the form of vitamins and minerals, including:
- Calcium: 318.95 milligrams (mg)
- Iron: 9.35 mg
- Magnesium: 47.4 mg
- Potassium: 468.59 mg
- Sodium: 32.96 mg
- Zinc: 2.3 mg
- Beta carotene: 5984 micrograms (mcg)
- Vitamin A: 498.4 mcg
- Vitamin C: 15.43 mcg
The Benefits of Gotu Kola Leaves for Body Health
This herbal plant is widely used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine.
Gotu kola leaves have many health benefits, such as improving mood, increasing memory, lowering blood sugar levels, and treating skin diseases.
To find out more clearly, here are the various benefits of Centella asiatica for health that you need to know.
1. Helps improve cognitive function
A small study from Gajah Mada University (2016) compared the effects of giving 1,000 mg of gotu kola extract, 750 mg of gotu kola extract, and 3 mg of folic acid per day.
Both of these supplements are useful in improving cognitive function. However, the benefits of gotu kola leaves were found to be more effective in improving the patient's memory.
Even so, these results still require further research. Consult your doctor before using it.
2. Reduce stress and anxiety
This herbal plant is also efficacious to improve mood so that it can help treat stress, depression, and anxiety that you experience.
Centella asiatica in the form of an oral supplement as an antidepressant drug has been shown to help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
Thanks to these benefits, gotu kola leaves are also often used to treat sleep disorders, such as insomnia that sometimes accompanies this condition.
3. Accelerate wound healing
Gotu kola leaves contain triterpenoids, which are chemical compounds to help speed up the wound care process.
These compounds work by increasing antioxidant levels, strengthening skin tissue, and increasing blood supply to injured areas of the skin.
A study on mice in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics (2015) found that wound dressings with gotu kola extract had a healing effect on various types of wounds.
This includes cuts from sharp objects and skin tears from blunt force trauma.
Even in other studies, this herbal plant can also help heal burns and reduce the risk of wound infection.
4. Prevent the effects of premature aging
The benefits of gotu kola leaves also help prevent premature aging. This is obtained by increasing the formation of collagen, a protein that is important for the body's skin tissue.
As we age, collagen production decreases. Without enough collagen, the skin becomes less elastic and more prone to damage.
Thanks to these benefits, Centella asiatica is one of the active substances that is never absent from some anti-aging products.
The use of gotu kola in the form of supplements or skin care products, can help your skin become more elastic and avoid the effects of premature aging.
5. Fade stretch marks
The triterpenoid compounds in gotu kola leaves that increase the production of collagen in the body are also beneficial in reducing the appearance of stretch marks.
In addition, the benefits of Centella asiatica not only disguise existing stretch marks, but also prevent the formation of new stretch marks.
You can apply a cream containing gotu kola extract on the areas that have stretch marks. However, try to do a skin test first.
The trick, apply the cream to your forearm and leave it for 24 hours. If the skin is not irritated, then this cream is safe for you to use.
6. Treat skin problems
In addition to triterpenoids, Centella asiatica also contains other active compounds, including pentacyclic triterpenes, asiaticoside, and asiatic acid.
Well, these various compounds can help skin recovery due to psoriasis and scleroderma.
Gotu kola leaf extract helps stimulate healthy skin cell division and the formation of tissues that connect skin cells.
Thanks to the benefits of this herbal plant, your skin will be protected from sun damage, cellulite and scar tissue.
7. Relieve joint pain
You can also feel the benefits of gotu kola leaves from its anti-inflammatory properties. It can be useful in treating inflammation of the joints (arthritis).
A study in the journal Biomedical and Environmental Sciences (2014) tested rats with arthritis with an oral extract of gotu kola.
This test found that Centella asiatica helps reduce joint inflammation, cartilage erosion, and bone erosion that causes joint pain.
Apart from that, the antioxidant effect in gotu kola leaves also aids healing by boosting your immune system.
Safe Rules for Using Gotu Kola Leaves
Gotu kola leaves are available in fresh form which is suitable for processing into salads, stir-fried vegetables, or a mixture of urap.
More practically, the benefits of gotu kola leaves can also be felt in the form of oral supplements, such as herbal teas, capsules, or tablets.
Centella asiatica extract as a skin care product is generally available in the form of creams, moisturizing products, serums, ampoules, and masks.
These active ingredients penetrate deep into the layers of your skin and work directly at the cellular level to address skin concerns.
There are no special rules for using skin care products that contain Centella asiatica. The main thing you need to do is identify your skin type.
If you have oily skin, avoid heavy cream products for the skin. Choose a serum, face mist, or mask that contains this herbal extract.
Meanwhile, if you have sensitive skin, it's better to use a moisturizer or serum that absorbs better than other products, such as masks.
Gotu Kola Leaf Side Effects
In general, gotu kola leaves are safe for adults. However, children under the age of 18 are not recommended to use this herbal plant.
The use of skin care products containing Centella asiatica is generally safe, as long as it is not used beyond the recommended limit.
Exposure to large amounts of gotu kola leaf compounds on the skin can cause a burning sensation to skin allergic reactions in some people.
Meanwhile, taking gotu kola leaf supplements in some cases can cause mild side effects, such as dizziness, headache, and upset stomach.
You should not use gotu kola extract for more than six weeks without consulting your doctor first.
Avoid use in people with a history of liver disease (liver) and skin cancer. The reason is, the content in this plant is harmful to the liver in the long run.
To feel the benefits of gotu kola leaves, always follow the instructions for use on the product packaging label.
Consult a doctor before taking supplements and a dermatologist to avoid side effects from its use.
Source: https://hellosehat.com/nutrisi/fakta-gizi/manfaat-daun-pegagan/
