Gotu kola (Centella asiatica)
Cognitive · Ayurvedic adaptogen
Tier C+
Bottom line
Read Off Label grades Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) as C+ (5.7/10) based on weak evidence, med benefit magnitude, and a low-risk safety profile.
Traditional Ayurvedic 'medhya rasayana' (memory herb).
Studied, labeled, or reported-use context: 500-1000 mg/day standardized extract — OTC; not individualized guidance.
What the evidence says
Traditional Ayurvedic 'medhya rasayana' (memory herb). Limited modern RCTs; Wattanathorn 2008 showed mood improvements in elderly. Also used topically for wound healing. Rare hepatic reactions documented. A 2026 systematic scoping review quantifies how thin the human evidence is: of 2,238 citations screened, 12 concerned gotu kola — **three human studies totalling 91 participants**, and nine animal studies. The authors conclude the evidence base is **insufficient to support a meta-analysis at all**. Worth noting the framing: the review examines gotu kola, phosphatidylcholine and taurine specifically as "the active nutraceutical constituents of Neurotain Plus", a commercial product, and no included study evaluated the combination. Confirms the `Weak` mood/anxiety clause on this row.
Mechanism
Asiaticoside and madecassoside triterpenes; enhance dendritic arborization; antioxidant; anxiolytic via GABAergic modulation
Studied, labeled, or reported dose & route
500-1000 mg/day standardized extract
This records doses and routes described in studies, approved labeling, clinical practice, or documented use. It is not individualized guidance and does not establish safety; context changes with indication, formulation, health history, monitoring, and other medicines.
Citations
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Common questions
- What does the evidence show about Gotu kola (Centella asiatica)'s effects?
- Read Off Label rates the evidence for Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) as Weak and the benefit magnitude as med, producing an overall grade of C+ (5.7/10). Traditional Ayurvedic 'medhya rasayana' (memory herb).
- What safety findings are reported for Gotu kola (Centella asiatica)?
- Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) has a low risk profile in the database. Low (rare hepatotoxicity reports at high doses/chronic use) Legal status: OTC.
- What doses or routes are reported for Gotu kola (Centella asiatica)?
- 500-1000 mg/day standardized extract This is context from studies, approved labeling, clinical practice, or documented use; it is not individualized guidance and does not establish safety.
- How does Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) work?
- Asiaticoside and madecassoside triterpenes; enhance dendritic arborization; antioxidant; anxiolytic via GABAergic modulation
This is an independent synthesis of published research by a non-clinician. Scores are opinions supported by citations, not prescriptions. See the full disclaimer and methodology for how this score was produced and what it does and doesn't mean.