Vallarai Keerai 

🌿 Botanical Name: Centella asiatica

🌿 Herbal Uses of Vallarai Keera (Gotu Kola)

1. Cognitive Health

   • Memory Enhancement: Known to improve memory and cognitive function.

   • Brain Tonic: Enhances mental clarity and reduces cognitive decline with age.

   • Stress Reduction: Helps in reducing anxiety and promoting a calm state of mind.
     
     

2. Anti-Anxiety and Sedative

   • Nervous System Support: Calms the nervous system, providing relief from stress and nervous exhaustion.

   • Anti-depressant: Known for its mood-lifting properties, it helps with depression and nervous tension.
     
     

3. Skin Health

   • Wound Healing: Promotes faster healing of wounds and cuts.

   • Anti-Aging: Rich in antioxidants that help reduce wrinkles and age spots.

   • Anti-Inflammatory: Soothes irritated skin, especially for conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
     
     

4. Circulatory Health

   • Improves Blood Circulation: Increases blood circulation, especially in the brain, supporting overall cardiovascular health.

   • Anti-Varicose Veins: Strengthens the walls of veins and helps in treating varicose veins and poor circulation.
     
     

5. Anti-Inflammatory

   • Joint Health: May help reduce inflammation and pain associated with arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.

   • Anti-Oxidant: Contains compounds that reduce inflammation in the body and act as an antioxidant.
     
     

6. Digestive Health

   • Detoxification: Helps to detoxify the liver and improve digestion.

   • Appetite Regulation: Supports better digestion and can be used to treat indigestion and bloating.
     
     

7. Respiratory Health

   • Improves Respiratory Function: Helps in treating respiratory issues like asthma, coughs, and bronchitis.

   • Mucus Reduction: Acts as an expectorant, clearing mucus from the respiratory system.
     
     

8. Anti-Microbial

   • Antibacterial and Antifungal: Used to treat infections and support the immune system.

🌱 Plant Description:

• Type: Herbaceous perennial

• Height: 4 to 8 inches (10–20 cm)

• Structure: Ground-hugging plant with small, round, and shallow leaves.

• Leaves: Round or kidney-shaped, about 1–3 inches wide, bright green.

• Roots: Stems spread along the soil surface, sending out roots at intervals.

• Flowering & Fruit: Flowers: Small, pink or white. Fruits: Rarely formed in cultivation, usually propagated through cuttings or divisions.

🌱 Propagation:

• By Cuttings or Leaf Stems: Can be propagated from cuttings or by division of the plant.

• By Seeds: Sometimes grown from seeds, but propagation by cuttings is more common.

🗓️ Harvest Time:

• Leaves: Can be harvested throughout the growing season. Fresh leaves are typically used in medicinal and culinary applications.

• Growth Duration: Plants are typically ready for harvesting in 3–4 months after planting when they begin to spread and form new shoots.