Centella Asiatica
Centella Asiatica (pennywort in English or daun pegagan in Indonesian) is a herb that has many benefits for health. It’s widely used as a skincare ingredients as it offers skin hydration, improves skin barrier, and boosts collagen production, leading to better overall skin health.
Few key compounds in Centella Asiatica including madecassoside, asiaticoside, asiatic acid, and madecassic acid which can calm inflammation and acts as antioxidants.
There are many ways to use it, including applying Centella Asiatica cream to skin, drinking the tea, or by having supplements.
More benefits:
- Would healing
- Enhance cognitive function, memory, and mood by reducing neuroinflammation, decreasing oxidative stress (excess free radicals/reactive oxygen and insufficient antioxidants), and enhancing neuroprotection.
- Enhance mood and reduces anxiety
- Boost moisture and hydration
- Soothes inflammation
- Anti-aging because it stimulates collagen.
In an experiment in India, there is an increase in brain capacity 3 to 60 times in a rat that is given centella asiatica extract compared to rat that is not given.
Moreover, in a research whose participants are women aged more than 70, it is proven that consuming 500mg of Centella Asiatica improves semantic fluency and visual memory.
What is reactive oxygen?
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) is produced as a natural byproduct of normal metabolism. Excessive ROS leads to oxidative stress, which can cause aging, cancer, and neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer.