Centella Asiatica Supplement: Natural Extract for Emotional Well-Being

Centella asiatica is a Gotu kola supplement standardised to 20% asiaticosides and madecassosides, two of the plant’s most active ingredients. Also known as ‘tiger grass’, it supports both mental health and healing.

What benefits does Centella asiatica offer?

The plant Centella asiatica features in several Asian pharmacopeia and has been used for over 3000 years in Ayurvedic medicine, primarily for its ability to support healing and for its effect on microcirculation. It is also known as ‘tiger grass’ because it’s said that wounded tigers would roll around in it to soothe their wounds. It has several other names too: Indian Pennywort, Asiatic Pennywort, Water Naval, …

Its empirical use has been supported for many years by the scientific literature . In ancient times, the pressed sap of the fresh plant was used to clean wounds, while drinking it was believed to promote healing. According to Charaka, one of the principal founders of the ancient science of Ayurveda, a decoction of its leaves had a positive effect on cognitive function. A number of scientific studies have demonstrated these benefits and have highlighted others:

• positive effect on the nervous system and mental health in general (1);
• positive effect on the digestive system;
• positive effect on the cardiovascular system;
• positive effect on the venous system;
• stimulation of fibroblast growth.

What are its mechanisms of action?

Its presumed effect on healing is thought to be related to its high content of certain triterpenes and flavonoids, including asiatic acid and madecassic acid, powerful activators of collagen synthesis, and in particular, madecassoside and asiaticoside, two heterosides recognised as the main active ingredients in the plant Centella asiatica. They are also responsible for its effects on cognition (2-3).

That’s why our Centella supplement is standardised to 20% asiaticosides and madecassosides.

How should Centella asiatica be taken?

We recommend taking between 1 and 3 vegetarian capsules a day with meals, or as advised by your therapist.

To boost its effects on cognition, we’d also advise you to adopt the following measures alongside your course of Centella supplements:

• Get at least 7 hours’ sleep a night. Insufficient sleep adversely affects memory, quick-wittedness , concentration and alertness (4).
• Eat a diet rich in B vitamins. The B group vitamins, especially B1, B6, B9 and B12, play a key role in cognitive processes. You can also take the supplement Coenzymated B Formula to ensure you get the 8 B vitamins in their best – coenzymated - forms.
• Make sure you stay well-hydrated (around 2 litres of water a day). Inadequate hydration leads to problems with concentration and alertness.
• Try to manage your stress levels better. Several studies have demonstrated the negative effects of stress, whether physical or psychosocial, on neurogenesis. It’s therefore important to protect yourself from stress as much as possible, or failing that, to know how to mitigate its effects (through exercise, adaptogen supplements such as Adaptix, breathing techniques, etc.)
• Increase your intake of omega-3. Newly-generated neurons in adults are small but have very high requirements for essential fatty acids, especially omega-3 fatty acids, in order to build their demanding cell membranes. These fatty acids are unanimously recognised by the scientific community as helping to maintain good cognitive function.

To boost its effects on healing, try these steps alongside your Centella supplementation:

• Gently massage the affected area. Applying mechanical pressure softens and stimulates fibroblasts, which supports the dermis.
• Protect the area from the sun. There’s a risk of irreversible pigmentation when scars are exposed to the sun.
• Stop smoking. Smoking damages the healing process by narrowing the blood vessels.
• Combine your Centella supplement with a skin-revitalising formulation. Daily Beauty, for example, enhances your appearance with its high content of collagen peptides, biotin and solubilised keratin.

1. Wanasuntronwong A, Tantisira MH, Tantisira B, Watanabe H (2012) Anxiolytic effects of standardized extract of Centella asiatica (ECa 233) after chronic immobilization stress in mice. J Ethnopharmacol 143 (2): 579–85
2. Mohandas-Rao KG, Rao MS, Rao GS (2012) Evaluation of amygdaloid neuronal dendritic arborization enhancing effect of Centella asiatica (Linn) fresh leaf extract in adult rats. Chin J Integr Med [Epub ahead of print]: 1–6
3. Veerendra-Kumar MH, Gupta YK (2003) Effect of Centella asiatica on cognition and oxidative stress in an intracerebroventricular streptozotocin model of Alzheimer’s disease in rats. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 30(5–6): 336–42
4. Ellenbogen JM, Hulbert JC, Stickgold R, Dinges DF, Thompson-Schill SL. Interfering with theories of sleep and memory: sleep, declarative memory, and associative interference, Curr Biol., 2006 Jul 11;16(13):1290-4.