Centella Asiatica (Expanded) for Cognitive Function

Research suggests that Centella asiatica may support cognitive function and neuroprotection through multiple biological mechanisms, including reducing neuroinflammation, combating oxidative stress, inhibiting beta-amyloid aggregation, and supporting neuroplasticity, with the plant's triterpenoid compounds — particularly asiaticoside and madecassoside — identified as key active constituents across numerous reviews. Studies indicate that the evidence base spans preclinical laboratory work, animal models, and a smaller number of human trials, with one randomized controlled trial in older adults with mild cognitive impairment finding that Gotu kola supplementation added to an exercise program did not produce statistically significant cognitive improvements beyond exercise alone, though a correlation was observed between memory gains and reductions in inflammatory markers in the supplemented group. The broader literature, represented predominantly by narrative and systematic reviews published between 2015 and 2026, consistently characterizes Centella asiatica as a promising nootropic and neuroprotective agent with relevance to conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury, and age-related cognitive decline. However, reviewers across multiple papers uniformly note that the clinical evidence in humans remains limited in both scale and rigor, and that larger, well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed before firm conclusions about its cognitive benefits can be drawn.