Gotu kola is a highly versatile herb that can be used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. You can find it as a part of recipes just as much as you can find it in natural remedies. A common ingredient in Asian cuisines, gotu kola has also been traditionally used to treat a wide variety of conditions affecting mental health, such as mental fatigue, depression, memory loss, and insomnia. It can even be used to aid in the treatment of physical ailments such as asthma, colds, diarrhea, fever, hepatitis, stomach ulcers, and syphilis. According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), gotu kola is considered a miracle elixir of life that can promote longevity. As a matter of fact, the Chinese name for gotu kola means "fountain of youth."
How does gotu kola reduce stress and anxiety
When you are exposed to stressors, your body produces a stress hormone called cortisol. Gotu kola can help calm down your mind and body by reducing the levels of cortisol in your body. At the same time, it can also raise the levels of the feel-good neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine to enhance your mood. By balancing the chemicals in your brain, gotu kola's mental health benefits are twofold. This herbal remedy can make you feel better, while reducing the factors that make you feel worse. In this way, it can help alleviate stress, anxiety and depression. (Related: The healing benefits of gotu kola and its effects on your brain and emotional health.)
According to some studies, gotu kola was found to increase calmness, contentedness, and alertness by 100 percent in human patients. It also decreased their symptoms of anxiety and depression by 50 percent. Persons with generalized anxiety disorder were seen to have reduced symptoms of stress and anxiety after taking gotu kola. One way to tell if someone is anxious is to observe their startle response after being exposed to loud and sudden noises. After 30 to 60 minutes of being ingested, gotu kola showed a significant reduction in the startle response of persons with anxiety.
A recommended dose of gotu kola is three cups of gotu kola tea per day. You can even add the herb to your favorite salads for the improvement of your overall health and well-being.
Other health benefits of gotu kola
You can take gotu kola to reap a wide range of health benefits:
- Boost cognitive function. In a small study, gotu kola was found to be as effective as folic acid in improving overall cognitive function, but it was additionally more effective in improving memory domain.
- Improve mood and memory of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Since gotu kola is capable of enhancing memory and nerve function, it may also hold the potential to treat Alzheimer's disease. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in learning and memory function. Alzheimer's patients typically have low levels of acetylcholine. Gotu kola contains a compound called triterpenes that can inhibit the breakdown of acetylcholine.
- Improve circulation. According to research, gotu kola was found to be able to increase blood flow and reduce problems with fluid retention.
- Reduces inflammation. One of the underlying causes of depression is thought to be chronic brain inflammation. Gotu kola possesses anti-inflammatory properties. It can be used to reduce swelling and help protect against depression.
- Aids in restful sleep. Gotu kola can serve as an effective natural sleep aid and ease symptoms of insomnia that often accompany stress and anxiety. If you suffer from insomnia, try drinking the Ayurvedic remedy of gotu kola tea mixed with some honey.
Learn more about gotu kola and other herbs by visiting Herbs.news.
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