Kola (Not What You Think)

When you read the word “kola” in the subject of this article what was the first thing that went through your mind?\

Coca Cola?

Cola (soda)?

I’d wager it was one of the two.

There’s a reason for that.

Coca Cola was named with the word “cola” because kola nut (an African nut) was one of the primary ingredients.

Kola nut is known as one of the foremost energy herbs.

As it turns out, there’s another famous “kola”.

It’s called gotu kola.

While completely unrelated to kola nut, and having never appeared in Coca Cola, gotu kola is easily one of the most well-known and widely utilized longevity supplements in the world.

For thousands of years traditional medical practitioners have used gotu kola to help people maintain optimal wellness. 

Studies support what the ancient traditions of Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine have known for years. A little bit of gotu kola in your life could help you feel like a million bucks.

Now, here’s how gotu kola works.

4 Benefits of Gotu Kola That Warrant A Second Look

First off, let’s talk about gotu kola and let me explain what this awesome plant-based supplement is.

Gotu kola, otherwise known as Asiatic pennywort is a perennial, flowering plant found throughout Asian wetlands. It has a primary use as a culinary vegetable but medical practitioners have used it as a medicinal herb for centuries.

Perhaps the most well-known use by ancient civilizations on their patients was its ability to promote longevity and vibrant health.

1 - Gotu Koral Promotes Longevity

Perhaps you’re wondering what “longevity” is.

While there is no medical definition for longevity, the way I like to think about it (and the way cultures of old thought) is longevity is a life full of perfect health.

If longevity was defined any other way I’d call it “torture”.

While I plan on unpacking the nuances of what gotu kola does, the critical role it plays is acting on various systems in the body to improve health. Quite a few herbs are monotherapeutic, which is a way of saying they only influence one or two systems in the body.

Because gotu kola influences two of the most impactful organs (the brain and the heart) it brings with it a power to extend and enrich the quality of a person’s health. 

This is why traditional medical practices employed gotu kola therapy in spades, and it’s why holistic and functional medical practitioners use it today.

2 - Helps Keep the Brain In Pristine Shape:

To add onto the longevity claims, gotu kola has been shown to help keep your brain, the master computer in charge of all your body’s biological functions in pristine shape.

Consider the study that the Journal of Ethnopharmacology published. In it, they gave water with gotu kola extract to old and young mice alike. While they were trying to assess how the gotu kola extract assisted with memory in both the young and the old, they observed something remarkable with the older mice.

Gotu Kola was able to improve the memory for the older mice substantially compared to the younger mice. This shows that gotu kola extract could help preserve memory recall when taken early on as a preventative supplement.

There’s also evidence that gotu kola can keep the nerves in the brain functioning normally. Another mouse study from 2012 indicated gotu kola could help mice with memory issues keep the normal function of memory. 

Additionally, studies support the claim that gotu kola helps keep your brain free and clear from toxicity. This helps to keep neurotransmitter function well-regulated while also keeping brain cells from self-destructing (a byproduct of toxicity). 

3 - Keeps Your Heart Pumping Like Old Faithful:

Heart health, like brain health, is a defining factor of longevity.

Which is why it’s encouraging to see gotu kola may help to keep blood flowing throughout your body without difficulty.

Studies show that people with circulation issues found the benefit of circulatory improvements when taking gotu kola. Unimpeded circulation is of vital importance not only to heart health, but the health of every other organ in the body.

In a study, older Vietnamese individuals were able to maintain healthy circulatory function when taking gotu kola when compared to how they functioned before. This circulatory support bolsters the claim that gotu kola can help keep your heart pumping like old faithful. And if your heart’s beating like a dependable geyster it means longevity certainly could be yours to experience.

4 - Helps Support Healthy Inflammatory Response:

To make longevity a reality you need to support your body’s natural response to inflammation.

One of the hallmarks of gotu kola’s ability to help keep you living a long healthy life is how it boosts the antioxidant activity of other foods and herbs. This antioxidant support keeps your body’s inflammation in check.

In 2008 a study of gotu kola on animals showed that compounds in gotu kola decreased a handful of inflammatory markers that helped to improve how the mice would have felt otherwise.

Forbes even wrote on how gotu kola boosted antioxidant effectiveness. “In a 2012 study, researchers applied a concentrate of centella asiatica to the skin of  rats with open wounds and found that the formulation inhibited bacterial growth, fueled the growth of new skin cells and increased skin "tensile strength" and resilience.”

But Wait, Gotu Kola Does Even More Than That

Gotu Kola doesn’t just help enhance antioxidant activity and boost brain and heart health… there’s also evidence it helps with skin appearance, joint health, mood stabilization and more.

We use gotu kola extensively in the office for people who are looking for a supplement that “rounds out” their supplement regimen.

I hope you’ll consider adding gotu kola to your supplement regimen.

One thing about gotu kola is you don’t have to take it every single day (but you can if you want) to get the benefits. Quite a few people take it every other or every three days to supplement their existing supplement regimen.

To purchase the one we sell here in the office please click here, or on the image below.