Gotu kola is a small creeping plant with round, fan-shaped leaves, found in damp ground across India and much of Asia. In Ayurveda it is usually called mandukaparni, and it is often mixed up with another herb, brahmi. Sorting that out is the first job of this page.
After that, we describe the plant as the tradition sees it and report what the LiverTox database of the US National Library of Medicine says about safety. We found no source that lets us say gotu kola is proven to treat anything, and we do not say so.
What it is
Gotu kola is Centella asiatica, a low-growing perennial of the carrot family, Apiaceae. It spreads along the ground by runners and grows in marshy corners, along streams and in shady, wet places. The leaves are small, rounded and slightly scalloped, and they are eaten fresh as a leafy green in parts of Sri Lanka, Thailand and India.
- Sanskrit: mandukaparni (the name means frog leaf, from the shape of the leaf)
- Hindi: brahmi in many northern markets, and also mandookparni
- English: gotu kola, centella, Indian pennywort
- Plant part used: the leaves and the whole fresh plant
Here is the confusion. In much of India the name brahmi is used for two different plants. One is Bacopa monnieri, covered on the page for brahmi. The other is Centella asiatica. Some regions call gotu kola brahmi, while Ayurvedic texts usually separate the two and name the second plant mandukaparni. Scholars and practitioners have discussed this overlap for a long time. If you are buying a product, check the botanical name on the label and not just the common name.
The traditional view
Later materia medica such as the Bhavaprakasha describe a substance by its taste (rasa), energy (virya) and effect after digestion (vipaka). The profile commonly taught for mandukaparni is below, though teachers phrase it in different ways, and the mix-up with brahmi means some older lists blend the two.
- Taste (rasa): bitter (tikta) and astringent (kashaya)
- Energy (virya): cooling (sheeta)
- After-digestion effect (vipaka): sweet (madhura) in many lists
- Effect on the doshas: commonly said to calm pitta and kapha, and sometimes described as balancing for all three doshas in small amounts.
In the tradition mandukaparni is placed among herbs for the mind and nerves, for the skin and for the memory, and it is also used as a leafy vegetable in some regions. We report these as what the tradition says, not as medical findings. They are statements about history and culture, and nothing here says gotu kola treats any condition.
If the terms are new, the page on the six tastes explains how Ayurveda reads flavour, and the pages on vata, pitta and kapha describe the three principles.
In the kitchen
Gotu kola is a food as well as a herb in some places, but it is not a common supermarket vegetable in most of India.
- As a leafy green, in Sri Lanka the leaves are chopped fine into a fresh salad called gotu kola sambol, with coconut, lime and chilli
- As a fresh juice in parts of Southeast Asia, where the leaves are blended with water and a sweetener
- As a side dish or chutney in some regions where it grows wild, usually cooked or ground with other ingredients
The leaves are mild, a little grassy and bitter, and they wilt quickly, so they are best used the day they are picked. Collect them only from clean, unpolluted ground, because the plant grows at water’s edge and can take up what is in the water. Wash it very well. For other bitter and leafy ingredients in an Ayurvedic kitchen, see spices in the Ayurvedic kitchen and the page on neem.
What research says
We did not find a page on gotu kola from the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, and we do not report trial results for it. Many websites quote benefits for memory, anxiety, veins and scars. We do not repeat them, because we could not verify them from a source we checked, and a result seen in a small study or an animal does not show that a herb works for you.
The source we did check is LiverTox, which reviews the evidence on harm to the liver. It is helpful because it reports adverse effects, including the rare ones, plainly.
Safety and interactions
- Common side effects. LiverTox says reported adverse effects are generally nonspecific, such as headache, dizziness, bloating, diarrhoea and nausea, and that they were often similar in frequency to those seen with placebo or alternative treatments.
- Allergies and skin. Rare allergic reactions have been reported, particularly with topical use on skin diseases and wounds. Stop using it and seek advice if a rash develops.
- Liver. LiverTox says centella extracts have not been linked to routine blood-test changes during treatment, although few prospective studies have looked. Rare cases of acute liver injury have been published, including three women in Argentina who developed jaundice after using centella for weight loss, and a Swiss case after oral use for acne. The injury appeared three to eight weeks after starting and resolved within one to two months after stopping. LiverTox rates it a probable rare cause of liver injury (its category C), and notes that contamination or other liver-harming ingredients in the products were not ruled out. In one case, rechallenge brought the illness back.
- Warning signs. Unusual tiredness, nausea, abdominal pain, dark urine and yellowing of the skin or eyes. LiverTox advises prompt withdrawal of the product if clinically evident liver injury develops, and says rechallenge should be avoided.
- Liver disease and medicines. Anyone with a liver condition, or taking medicines that can affect the liver, should ask a doctor before using a concentrated product.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children. We found no source we checked that covers gotu kola in these groups, so we cannot confirm it is safe. Please ask your doctor or midwife first.
- Interactions. NCCIH’s digest on herb and drug interactions calls most interactions theoretical, and flags warfarin, digoxin and cancer chemotherapy as drugs with narrow safety margins. It does not name gotu kola. Tell your pharmacist and surgical team about any herbal product.
- Quality. NCCIH notes that some imported Ayurvedic preparations may contain lead, mercury or arsenic.
This page is education, not medical advice. Please read our medical disclaimer, see a doctor for any health concern, and consult a registered Ayurvedic practitioner (BAMS in India) before considering any Ayurvedic treatment.
Frequently asked questions
↳ Is gotu kola the same as brahmi?
No, though the names overlap. In many places brahmi means Bacopa monnieri, while gotu kola is Centella asiatica, which Ayurvedic texts usually call mandukaparni. Some regions use the name brahmi for gotu kola, so check the botanical name on any product.
↳ What does mandukaparni mean?
It means frog leaf in Sanskrit, from the rounded shape of the leaf. It is the usual classical name for Centella asiatica, and the tradition describes it as bitter, astringent and cooling.
↳ Can gotu kola harm the liver?
LiverTox describes rare cases of liver injury, mostly after using centella extracts for several weeks, and rates it a probable but rare cause. The cases usually cleared after stopping. If you notice dark urine, yellow skin or eyes, or unusual tiredness, stop and seek medical care.
↳ Is gotu kola safe in pregnancy?
We found no source we checked that covers gotu kola in pregnancy or breastfeeding, so we cannot say it is safe. Please ask your doctor or midwife before using any product.
↳ Can I eat gotu kola leaves?
The leaves are eaten as a fresh green in Sri Lanka and parts of Asia. Collect them only from clean ground, wash them very well, and ask your doctor if you have a liver condition or take regular medicines.
Sources: LiverTox: Centella asiatica, NCCIH: Herb-Drug Interactions, NCCIH: Ayurvedic Medicine in Depth.