11 replies to this topic

[#1hit]

After reading a thread here, I did some cursory research on an herb that sparked my interest, Gotu Kola. While its been a staple in many of the stacks on this forum, I always assumed it was just another adaptogen. After researching it, however, I see how the numerous nueroprotective actions of it seem to be owed in large part to its positive effect on reducing anxiety. I searched specifically for its effects on anxiety and found, along with positively GLOWING forum endorsements by people with social anxiety, a couple studies that seem to corroborate these findings:

http://www.ncbi.nlm....1&dopt=Abstract

Investigations of the pharmacologic profile of medicinal plants have revealed that a number of plants with purported anxiolytic activity bind to cholecystokinin (CCK) receptors. This finding is intriguing in view of the proposed involvement of CCK in the pathophysiology of fear and anxiety. This double-blind, placebo-controlled study was undertaken to evaluate the anxiolytic activity of Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) in healthy subjects. Gotu Kola has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. Recent studies in the rat have shown that long-term pretreatment with Gotu Kola decreases locomotor activity, enhances elevated-plus maze performance, and attenuates the acoustic startle response (ASR). In this study, the authors evaluated the effects of Gotu Kola on the ASR in humans. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either a single 12-g orally administered dose of Gotu Kola (N = 20) or placebo (N = 20). The results revealed that compared with placebo, Gotu Kola significantly attenuated the peak ASR amplitude 30 and 60 minutes after treatment. Gotu Kola had no significant effect on self-rated mood, heart rate, or blood pressure. These preliminary findings suggest that Gotu Kola has anxiolytic activity in humans as revealed by the ASR. It remains to be seen whether this herb has therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of anxiety syndromes.


[Article in Chinese]

Chen Y, Han T, Rui Y, Yin M, Qin L, Zheng H.

Pharmacy School, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible effect of antidepressant effect of total triterpentes of Centella asiatica. METHODS: The corticosterone levels in serum were measured by fluorescence spectroscopy. The contents of monoamine neurotransmitters and their metabolites in rats cortex, hippocamopus and thalamus were evaluated by using HPLC with electrochemical detector. RESULTS: Significant reduction of the corticosterone level in serum and increase of the contents of 5-HT, NE, DA and their metabolites 5-HIAA, MHPG in rat brain were observed. CONCLUSION: The antidepressant effect of total triterpenes of Centella asiatica may be involved in ameliorating the function of HPA axis and increasing the contents of monoamine neurotransmitters.


So on the promise conferred by these two scientific studies and many supporters on other forums who swear by the stuff, as well as hearing about it on this forum, I've decided to buy some for myself and give it a whirl. Before I start, though, I had a few questions.

First of all, what is the recommended dosage for Gotu Kola when taken for anxiety? I have 100 475mg capsules that I bought from Nature's Way. Also, how long does it typically take to start working and what is the duration of its effects? Lastly, is it a depressant, and if so, is it safe to consume alcohol on a day that I also take this supplement?
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Edited by chrono, 16 November 2011 - 07:06 AM.

[arska]

Hi,

I browsed through pubmed and found also this study:
Pharmacokinetics of the total triterpenic fraction of Centella asiatica after single and multiple administrations to healthy volunteers. A new assay for asiatic acid.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....3?dopt=Abstract


There are also many trials that used the triterpenic fraction (usullay ethanol extracted) of Centella asiatica from 30 - 180 mg/d as tablets, which investigated it's effect on low-density carotid and femoral plaques, venous hypertension, diabetic microangiopathy and different skin conditions.

Your capsules seem to bee the leaf and stem parts so I would incline to try the 12 g/daily as indicated by the Bradweijn's study. It might be rather expensive though with 12g /d dosage...

An other option would be to cultivate it as I do...well here in Costa Rica.. Still have not taken it as nootropic as I'm waiting my first harvest...

Saludos

[Erstwhile]

Perhaps somewhat relevant to the anxiolytic effects is this study:

Wattanathorn, J. et al. Positive modulation of cognition and mood in the healthy elderly volunteer following the administration of Centella asiatica. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 116, 325-332 (2008)

Centella asiatica has a reputation to restore decline cognitive function in traditional medicine and in animal model. However, little evidence regarding the efficacy of Centella asiatica from systematized trials is available. Therefore, the present randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study investigated the effect of Centella asiatica on cognitive function of healthy elderly volunteer. Therefore, the present findings suggest the potential of Centella asiatica to attenuate the age-related decline in cognitive function and mood disorder in the healthy elderly. However, the precise mechanism(s) underlying these effects still require further investigation.

Placebo, 250mg, 500mg and 750mg were the four different conditions the participants were placed under. Using the Bond-Lader mood scale, it seems Gotu Kola increased the "calm factor" significantly after 1 and 2 months of treatment.

Calmness
Placebo 15.00 ± 2.00 14.25 ± 2.19 13.38 ± 2.07
CA250 15.38 ± 3.25 16.00 ± 2.00 15.88 ± 2.10*
CA500 15.38 ± 1.19 16.13 ± 0.99 15.63 ± 2.56*
CA750 16.25 ± 2.12 16.75 ± 1.04* 17.00 ± 1.51*
F(3,28) = 0.4398, p = 0.7263F(3,28) = 3.3943, p = 0.0316F(3,28) = 4.2124, 0.0141

Also rather interestingly, especially in relation to reports that Gotu Kola is sedating, it was found that the participants’ subjective ratings score about alert factor of Centella asiatica treated group at dose of 750 mg/day showed a significant increase, in comparison to placebo rating, after 1 and 2 months of treatment. Then again, this study only involved 28 elderly, albeit healthy, volunteers...

Edited by Erstwhile, 16 November 2011 - 01:36 AM.

[Luminosity]

In Chinese Medicine, and other traditions, some herbs would be used for certain age groups more than others. If you give these herbs a fair trial now and they don't help, remember them for later. In addition to age-related factors, it looks like each substance needs to be checked out for how it affects people with ADD. It looks like stimulants (like Ritalin) and sedatives might have an opposite effect on ADD sufferers. Even then, there will be individual differences.

After studying natural medicines for thirty years, there is just a lot of trial and error. Whole Foods has a liberal return policy.

[dr_erni]

Surprisingly, I can actually feel the effect of Gotu Kola. It's very, as i've seen it described here, sedating. You end up calm and even, so I can imagine it would help with anxiety. The one I picked up is about 445mg per cap of extract.

[canz]

Surprisingly, I can actually feel the effect of Gotu Kola. It's very, as i've seen it described here, sedating. You end up calm and even, so I can imagine it would help with anxiety. The one I picked up is about 445mg per cap of extract.

At this dose do you feel sluggish at all or is it just enough to produce a calm and even feeling? Do you take this during the day or at night? Do you take any other supplements with it that have stimulating properties that could balance out an overwhelming sedating effect?

I'm looking to include this in my regimen and anxiety is an issue for me, but I have to be sharp at all times during work hours. I don't want to be so calm and sedated that I am unproductive.

[dr_erni]

It seems like it's very individual in terms of how people respond to it. For me personally, I would only use it at night / evening. I tried it with ginko and red ginseng as a herbal stack.

I'm very new to this world of supps, so you'll probably see much better advice... but I'd look for something different during the day.

[chrono]

I've only used it for mild improvement in concentration when I'm taking a break from racetams/etc, usually in the 200-600mg dosage range (my material looks like shredded leaves). I can't say I've noticed a particularly strong impact on social (or any) anxiety at this dose, but I don't really take it in those situations, either.

Here's a success story with a dosage of 1.5g/day. You might want to try a dosage more in this range before jumping in at 12 grams (!).

Here's links for the main research thread, and some negative experiences.

[KC_in_SD]

I'm a little concerned after reading its Wiki-P entry as to where it grows and how it's harvested:
"grows along ditches and in low, wet areas.....the plant frequently suffers from high levels of bacterial contamination, possibly from having been harvested from sewage ditches. Because the plant is aquatic, it is especially sensitive to pollutants in the water, which are easily incorporated into the plant." The entry also doesn't mention any positive effects though I'm sure there are some. Maybe someone would care to add something + to the Wiki.

[Godof Smallthings]

What they say about where it grows is true, although that is not the whole truth.

It does grows in moist places, along canals and ditches (as well as mountain streams and even on lawns provided the atmospheric and soil conditions are right), and it is like an environmental cleaner, as it soaks up pathogens and heavy metals, which do end up in the plant.

But such concerns are not valid with organically grown gotu kola. Of course, given the lack of regulation of the supplement industry, even a claim from a brand to be organic may not necessarily withstand scrutiny, since there is so little such scrutiny actually performed, and many herbs are bought in bulk from India and China where business is unregulated and the desire to make a quick buck is huge.

So I would advice caution, unless you have good knowledge of the ultimate source. If you're in the right climate zone, grow your own like I do!

However, I remember reading a test performed by a Malaysian university which showed that even in gotu kola that was deliberately harvested for testing purposes near an industrial complex with highly contaminated water, still the gotu kola leaves, which are used to make most extracts, contained fairly little of the contaminants, which were instead largely concentrated in roots and stems.

The Wikipedia entry has been cleaned up to remove all clinical trials that have not been replicated. I.e. one positive clinical trial is not enough to make it into Wikipedia, the trial must be replicated for it to be considered valid. This is probably wise, as there are many trials of low quality, and some outright frauds. The supplement industry is huge these days and there is a lot of money to be made there, as there is in the pharmaceutical industry, so the incentives to produce biased, selective or falsified research is there as well.

Finally, examine.com is more useful than Wikipedia as a reference for relevant info on herbs and supplements, and the claims made about them that have been tested in trials.

Edited by Godof Smallthings, 06 February 2014 - 10:01 AM.

[Babychris]

So what about Starwest Botanicals Gotu Kola ? I seem to respond nicely to their GK, and I was looking to buy 1lbs, I initally come there so ask if their organic root was effective to improve memory and anxiety, but I'm now concerned about the claim that it contain some bad toxic ..

[Godof Smallthings]

Is it the actual root of the plant that is in the extract?

 

The leaves tend to have higher values of the active substances and much less of any pollutants. If Starwest carries organic gotu kola as claimed, then even the roots are likely to be safe, but as I know nothing of Starwest Botanicals I don't know what their quality is like. For what it is worth, their website does not ring any warning bells - they seem legit.