Gotu kola is known throughout the Asian world as a potent botanical and a tasty food. It has been utilized for thousands of years in both traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda for its properties and for its positive effect on memory, alertness and focus.
Gotu kola could possibly be confused with the caffeine-containing kola nut (Cola nitida), or bacopa (Bacopa monnieri), the latter often sold under the same Ayurvedic name 'brahmi' or 'mandukaparni'. However, gotu kola is certainly not a stimulant like kola nut and is in an entirely different family than bacopa. These two plants are confused however, because, in Ayurveda, they do have similar energetic characteristics.