Know2eat

Gotu kola

Centella asiatica

Herbs & Botanicals

What gotu kola may help with

Ranked by how strong the human evidence is — best supported first.

Best supportedBlood flowLimited evidence· 1 source

Then, in order

About Gotu kola

A creeping herb used in Ayurvedic and Southeast Asian medicine, containing the triterpenes asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. Pharmaceutical-grade preparations use a purified titrated fraction.

The most credible gotu kola evidence concerns chronic venous insufficiency and wound healing, and it used a titrated triterpene fraction developed as a pharmaceutical in Europe — a defined 40:60:0 ratio of purified compounds that ordinary retail capsules of dried herb do not deliver. Cognitive and anxiety claims rest on much thinner ground.

Sold as
Titrated triterpene fraction (pharmaceutical), Dried herb capsule, Topical cream, Tea, Tincture
Standardised to
The studied fraction is standardised to asiaticoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid in fixed proportions — a product without this marker may not resemble what was studied.
Also known as
Centella, Indian pennywort, Brahmi (also used for bacopa), Mandukaparni

Regulation: The titrated Centella fraction is available as a medicine in several European and Asian countries for venous insufficiency and scar management. Supplement capsules of dried herb are a different preparation sold without that assessment.

What the research used

The amounts, forms and durations published trials of Gotu kola actually administered.

These are the amounts published trials administered — not a recommendation, and not a dose to copy. Trial participants were screened, supervised and given a characterised preparation. What is in a retail bottle is frequently not what was studied, and the amount that suits one person is not general advice.

  • Studied for Chronic venous insufficiency

    60–180 mg

    Limited

    Titrated triterpene fraction, divided doses · 4 weeks to 12 months

    This is a purified pharmaceutical fraction, not what retail gotu kola capsules contain. Milligram-for-milligram comparison with dried herb products is not valid.

  • Studied for General supplement use

    500–1000 mg

    Not enough

    Dried herb or crude extract capsule

    Retail dosing carried over from traditional use rather than from trials of this form.

This is general information about food, not medical advice. It cannot diagnose, treat or replace guidance from a clinician who knows your history.

When it was taken

Each window says whether a trial compared it against an alternative, or whether it is convention and pharmacology. Most timing advice is the second kind.

None of the timings below were directly compared in a trial. They reflect how the research happened to dose, or what the pharmacology implies — which is not the same as a timing being better.

  • With food

    Not enough

    Taken with food for tolerability in most protocols; no timing comparison has been published.

    Timing was not directly compared. This reflects convention or how the compound behaves in the body, not a trial showing this window works better.

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how promising the supplement sounds. How we rate evidence.

Blood flow

Circulation
Limited evidence

Some trials of a purified triterpene fraction report reduced ankle swelling and improved venous symptoms in chronic venous insufficiency. The trials are small and older, and the preparation is not what most supplements contain.

What may be going on: The triterpenes stimulate collagen synthesis and have been linked to changes in connective tissue of the vein wall.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

View the 1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Skin structure and hydration

Skin Health
Limited evidence

Topical Centella preparations have some trial support for wound and scar appearance. Oral supplementation for skin has much weaker support.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

View the 4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Stress and anxiety

Mental Wellbeing
Not enough evidence

There is not enough human research to say gotu kola affects anxiety or cognition. The few trials are very small and use inconsistent preparations.

Not enough evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

View the 2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Things to know

Interactions, contraindications and dose limits, most serious first. Concentrated extracts interact with medication in ways the whole plant does not, so this section carries more weight here than it does on a food page.

  • Worth knowing

    Liver injury reports

    Case reports describe hepatitis, including granulomatous hepatitis, in women taking gotu kola for weeks to months, resolving on stopping. It is avoided in existing liver disease.

  • Interaction

    Sedatives and liver-affecting drugs

    Interacts withBenzodiazepines, alcohol, hepatotoxic drugs

    It may add to sedative medication and to the burden on the liver from other hepatotoxic drugs or alcohol.

  • Allergy

    Contact dermatitis

    Topical Centella is a recognised cause of allergic contact dermatitis in a minority of users.

  • Avoid

    Pregnancy

    Safety in pregnancy has not been established and traditional sources describe emmenagogue use, so it is generally avoided.

  • Worth knowing

    Name confusion with bacopa

    Both gotu kola and bacopa are sold as "brahmi" in different parts of India. They are unrelated plants with different chemistry, and product labels do not always resolve which one is inside.

Evidence ratings on this page: 2 limited evidence, 1 not enough evidence.

Supplements are sold in the US without pre-market review of efficacy or safety. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to take Gotu kola, or a dose to follow.