Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) is a vegetable frequently grown throughout Southeast Asia. Similar to Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng), traditional medicine recommends consumption of the fresh vegetable or as a juice for best results. However, gotu kola is also used in dried form in Ayurveda for a wide variety of health conditions—especially those involving the circulatory, digestive, and nervous systems.^1,15

Visibly swollen and distorted surface veins can appear in the legs when faulty vein valves fail to prevent the blood pumping the blood back up to the heart from pooling back into the legs. Several double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies have demonstrated that gotu kola can significantly improve the discomfort and swelling associated with varicose veins. Dosages in all studies ranged between 30 and 120 mg daily, with the best results reported at the higher doses.⁴⁶