I thought this might be a great healing tea.


Does anyone here have any experience with Gotu Kola Tea?

have some in the cupboard and drank some a couple time. No pronounced effects on a couple times drinking it at least not beyond placebo.

Didn't realize it was not psychoactive but like an herbal health drink/medicine, haha

It's pretty cheap though

i chewed it to induce entheogenic meditation once and it really did cause a bit of wierd temporomandibular joint pain.
because of that i wouldnt try it again but i heard of ppl having success with an oil extracted from it.
its a vasodilator so maybe itl be kewl with bufo or hbwr.
some ppl here in za snuff it to calm themselves down.

some random info

Medicinal Uses

Two main active constituents in Brahmi are Bacoside A and B. Bacoside A assists in release of nitric oxide that allows the relaxation of the aorta and veins, to allow the blood to flow more freely through the body. Bacoside B is a protein attributed to nourishing the brain cells. Asiaticosides stimulate the reticuloendothelial system where new blood cells are formed and old ones destroyed, fatty materials are stored, iron is metabolised, and immune responses and inflammation occur or begin. Centella appears to act on the various phases of connective tissue development, which are part of the healing process and increases keratinisation which allows it to stimulate healing of ulcers, skin injuries, connective tissue and to decrease capillary fragility. Asiaticosides also stimulate the synthesis of lipids and proteins necessary for healthy skin.

Actions

Gotu kola is a mild adaptogen, is mildly antibacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory. anti-ulcerogenic, anxiolytic, a cerebral tonic, a circulatory stimulant, a diuretic, nervine and vulnerary.

Medicinal Uses and Studies

When eaten raw as a salad leaf, pegaga is thought to help maintain youthfulness. In Thailand, cups with gotu kola leaves are used as and afternoon pick me up. A decoction of juice from the leaves is thought to relieve hypertension. This juice is also used as a general tonic for good health. A poultice of the leaves is also used to treat open sores. Interestingly, chewing on the plant for several hours induces entheogenic meditation, similar to the effects of salvia divinorum, although this practice is widely considered dangerous, as it can cause temporomandibular joint pains.
Richard Lucas claimed in a book published in 1979 that a subspecies `Hydrocotyle asiatica minor` allegedly from Sri Lanka also called `Fo ti tieng`, contained a longevity factor called `youth Vitamin X` said to be `a tonic for the brain and endocrine glands` and maintained that extracts of the plant help circulation and skin problems. However according to master herbalist Michael Moore, it appears that there is no such subspecies and no Vitamin X is known to exist. Nonetheless some of the cerebral circulatory and dermatological actions claimed from centella (as hydrocotyle) have a solid basis.
Several scientific reports have documented Centella asiatica`s ability to aid wound healing, which is responsible for its traditional use in leprosy. Upon treatment with Centella asiatica, maturation of the scar is stimulated by the production of type I collagen. The treatment also results in a marked decrease in inflammatory reaction and myofibroblast production.
The isolated steroids from the plant have been used to treat leprosy. In addition, preliminary evidence suggests that it may have nootropic effects. Centella asiatica is used to re-vitalise the brain and nervous system, increase attention span and concentration, and combat ageing. Centella asiatica also has anti-oxidant properties. It works for venous insufficiency. It is used in Thailand for opium detoxification.

Folklore

Gotu kola is a minor feature in the longevity myth of the Tai Chi Chuan master Li Ching-Yun. He purportedly lived to be 256, due in part to his usage of traditional Chinese herbs including gotu kola.
A popular folklore tale from Sri Lanka speaks of a prominent king from the 10th century AD named Aruna who claimed that gotu kola provided him with energy and stamina to satisfy his fifty woman harem.

hmm interesting. thanks for that phlux and q21q21.

i would plan on drinking it for its medicinal purposes not for any high or effects though.

I can attest to these effects. For me, the main effect is a sort of calm sense of detachment with intellectual enhancement. It's quite powerful if you make it strong enough.

I find that a cold brew is most effective. I'm not sure where, but somewhere I read that heat destroys some of the compounds vital to it's effects. From my brewing and drinking experience, I've found this to be true.

With a heated brew, it's effects are significantly diminished. There's still something there, but it's not anything worth brewing over.

Now, a strong cold brew is going to take a while if one just tosses the whole herb into some water, stirs it a little and lets it sit.

A quick way to make the cold brew is:

- powderize the herb in a grinder/bullet type machine........if you have a magic bullet type deal, after powderizing, add water into the vessel and blend for 30 seconds or so.
- then pour the mixture into a vessel, add more water to the desired amount and stir/let sit until the brew appears strong enough (I use a magnetic stirrer for this part, which makes the process much quicker and easier...but swirling, stirring and steeping will work just fine)

The infusion will have a sort of olive/army green color and be cloudy and hard to see through once it's strong.

In the middle of typing this post, I went and made a brew and it took less than 10 minutes to make it potent as all get out. A few small sips is making me very relaxed. Having a hard time finishing/proofreading this post, haha.

I'm confused. I thought gotu kola was a stimulant.

No. That's Kola Nut. Two different herbs.