For purportedly thousands of years, the gotu kola herb (Centella asiatica) has been used for ancient medicinal practices in India and China. While it has been used in Chinese culture as an herbal remedy for colds and respiratory infections, today it is most popular for skin care applications. Right now, using gotu kola for cellulite and tightening skin is perhaps the most popular use.The antioxidants in gotu kola are an underappreciated benefit. To put it in perspective, the ORAC value for the dried herb, as reflected above, is about 2/3rd that of dried acai powder (102,700).The biggest source of free radical scavengers in the leaves are flavonoids. Additionally, there is ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), the latter of which is often used in the cosmetics industry for its antioxidant properties.As is the case with virtually any herb or spice, the dried versions will be exponentially higher on the ORAC scale when compared to fresh. This is because the fresh leaves have a high amount of water content, which of course means the antioxidants are less concentrated. When you remove that (i.e. dried) the value is often at least 10x greater. While fresh gotu kola was not measured, its ORAC value would be expected to be between 2,500 and 7,500.
ORAC Value:
69,978
μ mol TE/100g.
The antioxidant value of Gotu Kola, Dried described in ORAC units is: 69,978 μ mol TE/100g.