Gotu kola : Herb That Helps to Relieve Stress

Stress, a small but significant term, is something that is plaguing the lives of individuals from all age groups and walks of life. As per a survey, about one in every three persons experience stress nowadays, and about half of those patients claim that the severity of their stress has increased over the past few years. Stress is basically our body’s reaction to a certain trigger. It is usually accompanied or followed by fear, anger, restlessness and even sleep issues. It is as if we have almost forgotten what it’s like to be at peace, both physically and mentally.

We need to understand that chronic stress can affect the quality of our lives, our physical and mental health, our work performance and even our relationships. Hence, apart from finding other ways to de-stress, we need to find something that’s safe, natural and effective. In comes the herb of Gotu Kola!

About Gotu Kola

Also called as Brahma-Buti, Gotu kola (Latin name – Centella asiatica) is a medicinal plant that has been used as a popular Ayurvedic herb since time immemorial. This perennial plant belongs to the parsley family, and is cultivated in various tropical wetlands across Southeast Asia. People use it for various culinary purposes. Loaded with nutrition, Gotu kola happens to be an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals. It is also a good source of dietary fibre. However, in this article, we shall talk about Gotu Kola’s therapeutic prowess, and its ability to offer relief from stress.

Gotu Kola – A herb that heals

This particular herb contains some significant healing properties, and offers a whole host of health benefits. Let’s walk through some of them.

• Owing to its antioxidant capability, it plays a major role in keeping infections and illnesses away.
• It is helpful in speeding up the wound healing process, preventing scars and looking after the general health of skin.
• It is also believed to be effective against sun burns and stretch marks
• It improves blood circulation in our body, and reduces swelling
• It is believed that Gotu kola also helps in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
• It can help treat insomnia and induce quality sleep
• It helps in offering relief to those suffering from arthritis and other joint issues, due to its anti inflammatory potential.
• Thanks to its detox capabilities, it helps keep our liver and kidneys clean and healthy.
• The herb of Gotu kola also boosts our cognitive function and as well enhances memory.

This plant has been used to prepare juice, herbal tea or make vegetable. And yet, owing to its high medicinal profile and an increasing popularity, it can now easily be found as a dietary supplement in capsule, powder, tincture, and some topical formulations.

Gotu Kola’s Significance in Stress Management

Those who take its supplements on a regular basis have reported significant decrease in signs of stress, anxiety and even depression. As per a research, the regular usage of the herb of Gotu kola has led to an increased state of being calm, content and alert. Let’s see how it really helps.

• Gotu kola has the capacity to reduce the level of cortisol, which is the stress hormone. And at the same time, it also increases the levels of serotonin, Norepinephrine and dopamine, the feel-good neurotransmitters in our body.
• Being an incredible adaptogen, it helps us deal with the everyday stress in a much better manner. This makes us stronger to face the everyday adversities and not let them affect our mood or energy.
• Its ability to rejuvenate allows us to relax, unwind and look back at the day in gratitude, and moreover to look forward to the day with gratefulness.

• As we discussed earlier, its antioxidant profile allows it to reduce and reverse the oxidative stress caused by free radicals in our body. And this stress is not limited to our body, but mind as well.
• This relaxant of sorts contains no caffeine, and yet it can offer some amazing energy boosting benefits.
• At the same time, it also positively affects certain elements of behavioural depression such as heart rate, body weight and body temperature, etc.
• And finally, by allowing us to de-stress, it helps us achieve quality sleep, keep our physical and mental health stable, maintain our quality of life, and happily invest in relationships.

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