LONGECITY

I started supplementing with high doses of bulk Gotu Kola powder exactly one month ago. I started taking 12-15 grams a day of the powder mixed in hot, but not boiling water. I let the powder sit in the water until it cools to room temperature. I have been supplement with Astragalus powder for several months do any effects that the Gotu Kola has May have something to do with that.

I have noticed a few things over the course of the past 30 days. When I started I began getting this red marks on certain parts of my body. My lower arms, hands, feet and ankles and certain parts of my lower chest and upper stomach area. Nowhere else did they appear. They increased in number for a time and then leveled of and are slowly reducing in number.

I also noticed an extreme diuretic effect and would have to use the bathroom very often and drink lots of water. This could have so etching to do with taking astragalus as well.

I've noticed a calming effect at night and can fall asleep easier than usual. I would rate my day time mood as the same. No boosts of happiness or any other strong nootropic effects so far.

Also, I've heard that large doses of gotu kola have been reported to darkening graying hairs. I have a few hairs that turned that color on each side if my head. No change so far. One thing I noticed is that I have hair buds on certain parts of my body that never had hair before. I'll keep everyone posted on that.

Lastly, I heard that brain function can be increased, so far no increasing in thinking, concentration, or inspiration. Etc,,,

Anyway let me know what you guys think.

Don't overdose, and don't take it for long periods of time at a high dose.

 

There are some reports of liver damage in the medical literature. This may be due to a bad product, but given that this is not clarified in the reports, better safe than sorry.

 

Do you know the origins of your powder? If you don't, it may be better to completely stop supplementation. Gotu kola is an environmental cleanser that takes up heavy metals and bacteria if they are present where it grows, and it is very prevalent along sewage ditches in tropical parts of Asia. If you are taking gotu kola that is not contaminated, it should ideally absorb toxins from your body instead.

 

From personal experience, I can second the diuretic effect as well as the calming (almost sedating if you take too much) effects. I experienced no mood changes from gotu kola, nor any obvious nootropic effects. The calming effect was not really conducive to work for me.

Thanks for your input. I get my gotu Kola from a source that is organic, grown without pesticides, certified kosher, and is grown within the US.

I have heard about not taking it to long and I think I will take it in cycles. A month on and two weeks off. It's definitely have cleansing effects in the body. I don't want to get too graphic but urine amount is not the only excretory function it changes. at least for me.

What's your goal with this?

Gotu Kola is a powerful nootropic and anxiolytic - it increases GAD (glutamate decarboxylase) which provides neuroprotection and allows glutamate to convert more readily into GABA - the single most relaxing neurotransmitter in the brain.

Gotu Kola also sustains acetylcholine levels, and may improve serotonin levels as well.

It is incredibly synergistic with Bacopa Monnieri - which acts to stimulate mGlu7/8 receptor expression (and causes GABA activation) - both of these herbs are nootropics but yet relaxing.

Edited by Area-1255, 25 August 2014 - 11:36 PM.

So far I have only seen benefits with getting to sleep better. Not so much mid day relaxation. Does gotu kola take a while to build in the system?

So far I have only seen benefits with getting to sleep better. Not so much mid day relaxation. Does gotu kola take a while to build in the system?

Most herbs do. Give it a couple weeks or throw in a synergist - like Bacopa Monnieri.

Any one want to chime in on their Gotu Kola experiences?

Wow, trying to find accurate info about the pharmacological activity for this stuff turned out to be a feet. Most of the claims that go around the net about what Gotu Kola does seem to be based off this dubious study, which suggests it can do everything:

http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3116297/

In the title, it calls it a potential 'cure-all'. It's no wonder that journal has an impact factor of .6, which is extremely low and enough to justify passing over much of the journal's content.

If anyone wants to take the time to really look into it and make a summary, here you go:
 

http://1.usa.gov/1E66kGJ

Edited by OneScrewLoose, 03 May 2015 - 07:15 AM.