Posted by Mistermindmasta on April 20, 2005, at 1:33:11
In reply to gotu kola, what does it really do ??, posted by linkadge on April 19, 2005, at 15:19:34
> Does anyone know the mechanisms of this herb. What is it primarily used for ??
>
> LinkadgeI would say it is used as a memory aid / mild mood lifter / calming agent. I haven't found it's action to be very strong, but if you go to www.sjwinfo.org, you can find some impressive posts that say its great for mood stabilising. Like, effects are noticed after several days use. I don't know how that would occur, biochemically. But I do remember gotu kola improving some aspect of acetylcholine function. A search in google for "gotu kola acetylcholine" would be useful. I don't believe it effects serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine or any of those other well known neurotransmitters. Another study I found showed that it has strong antioxidant effects in the brain which might account for both the cognitive enhancement and the mood stabilization. Gotu Kola and Brahmi are often combined in indian medicine as a sort of "smart herb" combination to improve general intellect. It's a shame more information is not available.
poster:Mistermindmasta
thread:486497
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050414/msgs/486818.html