Gotu Kola is known as a longevity herb and is used widely in India as part of their traditional medicine, Ayurveda. This red flowered plant grows naturally in swampy areas of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, South Africa, Australia, China and the southern United States. Its roots and leaves are used for medicinal purposes and provide important health benefits related to healthy veins and blood vessels, to treat skin disorders, help with better memory and improve brain function. Gotu Kola contains chemicals called triterpines (saponins) like asiaticoside, madecassoside and madasiatic acid, which enhance the formulation of collagen in bones, cartilage and connective tissue. These substances work to promote healthy blood vessels by strengthening their walls and improving blood flow. Gotu Kola encourages production of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters to help with brain function. A member of the parsley family, gotu kola (Centella asiatica) has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine and ayurveda(the traditional medicine of India) to heal skin conditions such as psoriasis, fight mental fatigue, and treat asthma, fever, and stomach ulcers. Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) has been used to treat a number of conditions for thousands of years in India, China, and Indonesia. It was used to heal wounds, improve mental clarity, and treat skin conditions such as leprosy and psoriasis. Some people use it to treat respiratory infections such as colds, and it was used for that in the past in China. It has been called the fountain of life because legend has it that an ancient Chinese herbalist lived for more than 200 years as a result of taking gotu kola. Historically, gotu kola has also been used to treat syphilis, hepatitis, stomach ulcers, mental fatigue, epilepsy, diarrhea, fever, and asthma. Today, in the U.S. and Europe gotu kola is most often used to treat varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where blood pools in the legs. Its also used in ointments to treat psoriasis and help heal minor wounds. Gotu Kola can be consumed as a soup or as a salad.