Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

The only confirmed side effect in humans is skin rash in sensitive individuals.

The chemical asiaticoside that helps against leprosy also appears to be weakly carcinogenic. A concentrated solution of the isolated chemical was applied to the skin of mice twice a week for 18 months (a long time in mouse terms), and 2.5 percent developed skin tumors. The risk to humans, if any, from occasional use of weaker, smaller doses of the whole herb remains unclear but appears minimal. Nonetheless, those with a history of cancer might reasonably decide not to use it. When in doubt, consult your physician.

Other Cautions

The Food and Drug Administration considers gotu kola an herb of “undefined safety.” For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults who have no history of cancer and are not taking other tranquilizers or sedatives, gotu kola is considered relatively safe in amounts typically recommended.

Gotu kola should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with a physician. If gotu kola causes minor discomforts, such as a rash or headache, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

The Un-Kola

Gotu kola is not cultivated in North America, though several related species grow wild.

As a member of the Umbelliferae family, gotu kola is related to carrot, parsley, dill, and fennel, but it has neither the characteristic feathery leaves nor the umbrella arrangement (umbel) of tiny flowers. Instead, gotu kola’s creeping stem grows in marshy areas and produces fan-shaped leaves about the size of an old British penny-hence its names Indian pennywort, marsh penny, and water pennywort. A cup-like clutch of inconspicuous flowers develops near the ground.

Any longevity claims for gotu kola are as farfetched as the tale of Li Ching Yun. But modern science has found support for other traditional claims for this ancient herb.

Wound Healing - Gotu kola may spur wound Healing.

According to a study published in Annals of Plastic Surgery, gotu kola accelerates Healing of burns and minimizes scarring. Other studies show the herb accelerates the Healing of skin grafts and surgical enlargement of the vagina during childbirth (episiotomy).

Psoriasis - Supporting its traditional use for skin diseases, one small study showed that a gotu kola cream can help relieve the painful scaly red welts of psoriasis. Seven psoriasis sufferers used the cream. It healed the welts in five within two months, and only one of the five experienced any recurrence within four months after the treatment ended. Gotu kola cream is not available commercially, but you can use a compress of gotu kola infusion to help treat psoriasis.

Leprosy - Gotu kola’s traditional use in treating leprosy (now called Hansen’s disease) was supported by a study published in the British journal Nature. The bacteria that cause leprosy have a waxy coating, which protects them against attack by the immune system. Gotu kola contains a chemical (asiaticoside) that dissolves this waxy coating, allowing the immune system to destroy the bacteria.

Leg Circulation - Gotu kola also may help promote blood circulation in the lower limbs. In one study, 94 people suffering poor circulation in the legs (venous insufficiency) were given either 60 milligrams of gotu kola or a look-alike placebo. After two months, those taking the herb showed significantly improved circulation and less swelling.

Intriguing Possibilities - Poor circulation through the legs causes varicose veins. Gotu kola has not been studied specifically as a treatment for this condition, but its possible ability to improve leg circulation might help prevent and treat varicosities.

Gotu kola has a sedative effect on laboratory animals.

Sedation has never been reported in humans, but some scientists claim it is possible. In animals, large doses are narcotic, causing stupor and possibly coma. Some scientists warn this reaction is also possible in humans, echoing the Eclectics, who advised against ingesting the herb. It might however, help fight insomnia; just don’t use more than recommended amounts.

Ironically, reports have also appeared claiming gotu kola causes restlessness and insomnia, which is rather odd for a purported “narcotic.” Apparently these cases involved the caffeine-containing herb, kola, which was mislabeled as gotu kola. Gotu kola is not related to true kola (Cola nitida), the caffeine-containing nut used in cola drinks.

Rx for Gotu Kola

Use an infusion of gotu kola to help improve circulation in the legs. Or give it a try if you have insomnia. For an infusion, use lh teaspoon per cup of boiling water. Drink up to 2 cups a day. Gotu kola tastes bitter and astringent; adding sugar, honey, and lemon, or mixing it into an herbal beverage blend will improve its flavor.

To help treat wounds or psoriasis topically, try compresses made from gotu kola infusion. If results are disappointing, try a stronger infusion.

Gotu kola should not be given to children under age 2. For internal use by older children and people over 65, start with a low-strength preparation and increase strength if necessary.

Soothes Skins Problems

Family: Umbelliferae; (includes Carrot, Parsley)

Genus and Species: Centella Asiatica or Hydrocotyle Asiatica

Also known as: Sheep Rot, Indian Pennywort, Marsh Pennywort Water Pennywort Hydrocotle

Parts used: Leaves

Long ago, the native Sinhalese of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) noticed that elephants. renowned for their longevity, loved the rounded leaves of diminutive gotu kola, The herb gained a reputation as a longevity promoter, and a Sinhalese proverb advised, “Two leaves a day keep old age away,”

Gotu kola won’t add years to your life, but it may stimulate the immune system, accelerate wound Healing, help treat psoriasis, and improve circulation in the legs, which may help prevent varicose veins,

Cure for Leprosy

India’s Ayurvedic herbalists first used gotu kola like ginseng to promote longevity and treat problems of aging, But over time, the herb became popular both internally and externally to treat skin diseases, including leprosy.

Philippine healers used gotu kola to treat wounds and gonorrhea, Chinese physicians used it for fever, colds, and flu.

Gotu kola got a bum rap in Europe. Several species grow there, but Europeans believed it caused foot rot in sheep (hence its once popular name, “sheep rot”), though there is no evidence this is the case.

Close relatives of gotu kola also grow in the United States, and America’s 19th-century Eclectics were well aware of the herb’s use as a treatment for leprosy in Asia. According to one report, “In 1852, Dr. Boileau of India, having been for many years afflicted with leprosy - experimented with [it] and recovered.”

The Eclectics considered gotu kola safe and effective when used externally to treat skin problems. They called it a “poison” when used internally, however, asserting large doses produce “headache, dizziness, stupor, itching, and bloody passages from bowels.”

Longevity Legend Revived

Gotu kola wasn’t used much during the early 20th century, but after World War II it was included in an herb tea blend called Fo-Ti-Tieng, which claimed to boost longevity, reviving the ancient Sinhalese claim. The story was that one Li Ching Yun, an ancient Chinese herbalist, had used the blend regularly and lived 256 years, surviving 23 wives. The tea caught on, and gotu kola reemerged from obscurity as an herbal tonic.

Contemporary herbalists recommend gotu kola externally as a poultice for wounds. For internal use, they prescribe small doses as a tonic stimulant, and large doses as a sedative.