Plant atlas Short
Gotu Kola's Memory Claim Fell Apart on a Second Look
Gotu Kola · ใบบัวบก · Centella asiatica
Gotu Kola — ใบบัวบก (bai-bua-bok) — Centella asiatica.
In one small controlled trial, older adults who took gotu kola extract improved on a working-memory task, though a later research review found no clear cognitive benefit overall. The study tested an extract, while Thai cooking uses the leaves. Those leaves provide beta-carotene, vitamin C, and calcium. Yum Bai Bua Bok tosses them with shrimp, pork, and lime-chili dressing; Nam Bai Bua Bok blends them into a chilled green drink. Avoid concentrated gotu kola supplements during pregnancy.
Yum Bai Bua Bok — ยำใบบัวบก (yam-bai-bua-bok)
Nam Bai Bua Bok — น้ำใบบัวบก (nam-bai-bua-bok)
Food and nutrients
Rich in: vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin C, calcium
Research context
Gotu kola improved working memory in a randomized trial of older adults — J Ethnopharmacology, 2008
Sources
Source: Wattanathorn J et al. (2008). Cognition & mood in healthy elderly with Centella asiatica. J Ethnopharmacol 116(2):325-32. DOI:10.1016/j.jep.2007.11.038 (PMID 18191355)
Narration transcript
Opening
This little marsh creeper hugs wet ground with round, scalloped leaves like tiny green fans, rooting as it runs until it carpets a whole damp patch. Gotu kola — ใบบัวบก, bai-bua-bok. You eat those raw leaves, tossed into a lime-and-chili salad or blitzed into a cooling green drink.
Yum Bai Bua Bok (ยำใบบัวบก)
Yum bai bua bok is a Thai salad that slices raw gotu kola leaves thin and tosses them with shrimp, pork, and a lime-chili dressing, usually eaten with jasmine rice.
Nam Bai Bua Bok (น้ำใบบัวบก)
Nam bai bua bok is a chilled drink that blends the leaves with water, strains and sweetens them, then serves them over ice alongside spicy stir-fries or curries.
Nutrition summary
These pennywort leaves are a good source of vitamin A, and offer a fair bit of iron and thiamin too.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A contributes to normal vision and helps maintain healthy skin and surface tissues.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is used to build collagen and helps protect cells from oxidative stress.
Calcium
Calcium is needed to maintain normal bones and teeth, supports normal muscle and nerve function, and contributes to normal blood clotting.
Closing
Gotu kola spreads on its own runners, so one plant in a moist, shady corner soon becomes a patch. Skip concentrated gotu kola supplements during pregnancy, though the fresh leaves in a salad are an everyday food. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.
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