food and nutrition


Gotu Kola

Question: How to use/ prepare Gotu Kola for anxiety? I have a large amount of the Gotu Kola plant growing in the backyard and was wondering how I prepare/ use this in helping/ treating anxiety as I have been suffering from anxiety for about 8 months now. Do I just eat it? If so, how many leaves do I have to eat? Or do I prepare it in a certain way? How do I use/ prepare this plant for the use of helping with anxiety?

Answer: Firstly you have to be certain it is Gotu kola. Can you identify it from any of these images?: http://www.google.co.uk/images?q=gotu%20kola&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rlz=1R1GGGL_en-GB&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi It is said to thrive in and around water [ http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/gotu-kola-000253.htm ], but that a article could be misleading as other sources suggest that it can grow in shallow water but can also grow in dry areas, like any weed [e.g.: http://www.answers.com/topic/gotu-kola ] but with thin and smaller leaves. If you are certain it is Gotu kola, you can either dry out the leaves by air drying...leave in a warm dry place to dry out, or eat fresh, in a salad as you have some fresh herb available. If you have an abundance of it it might be better to dry the leaves and make a tea from the dried leaves and drink that three times daily [1st link above]. The second link above explains how to make the tea. This link suggests 2 teaspoons of dried herb or 1/4 cup of fresh material to make the tea: http://www.ageless.co.za/gotu_kola.htm Presumably that is dried crushed herb or fresh herb in its non-chopped state. Here is a recipe for a Gotu kola salad: http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/special/1999/asian/salad.html Though taking the leaf in a salad or tea would not be as potent as taking an extract of Gotu kola, it still might be prudent to consult with a doctor or pharmacist first before supplementing with the herb if one is on medication or has any underlying medical condition. For instance, it might interact with prescription diuretics because it has a diuretic action itself. Though that might depend on how much one took and whether it was the potent extract or not. As posted on the following website, this is prudent advice (and am quoting verbatim): "General warning when using herbal infusions * Only use the herbal material if you are 100% sure that it really the herb in question." http://www.ageless.co.za/gotu_kola.htm Gotu kola is said to help with anxiety. It is known adaptogen in some parts of the world...as used in Ayurvedic, and also Chinese medicine. Vitamin B complex might also help with anxiety [natural sources of B vitamins: http://www.healthvitaminsguide.com/vitamins/vitamin-b-complex.htm] Meditation can also help with anxiety by promoting the right brain waves associated with the relaxed state. Foods to eat and avoid for anxiety: http://www.anxietynomore.co.uk/food_and_anxiety.html ...you should perhaps avoid all sources of caffeine...such as tea and coffee and cola drinks. Caffeine can certainly worsen anxiety. Milk or yogurt should have the opposite effect....calcium, abundant in dairy products, is good for the nervous system....as is magnesium which is abundant in green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and Gotu kola and nuts and seeds. Gotu kola is also said to be rich in B vitamins: http://www.altnature.com/library/gotukola.htm . Thus part of the anti-anxiety effect of Gotu kola could be down to being rich in both magnesium and B vitamins. Though the triterpenoids, Got kola's main active constituents, also has anti-anxiety effects. Best wishes.

Related News and Products