Gotu Kola and the 256-Year-Old Man

Gotu Kola and the 256-Year-Old Man
Have you heard about Gotu Kola and the 256-year-old man? I have been a big fan of gotu kola for years but what I found out today motivated me to order four bottles (very cheap) of it. It also didn’t hurt that I found some last night that I had never unpacked from our move seven months ago from Washington, DC. It contributed to me having one of the best nights sleep since I’ve been here. It put me in a great mood, too.


It does some amazing things. For instance, if you would you like to give yourself an energy boost without caffeine, and at the same time improve your circulation, enhance your nervous system, sharpen your concentration, increase your intelligence, enhance your memory, purify your blood, fortify your immune system, clear up any skin problem such as psoriasis or eczema, balance your left and right brain hemispheres, dramatically extend your longevity, and to top it all off, awaken your crown chakra, then this herb is for you.
This is no exaggeration. It first got my attention years ago when I was building a website for an herb store. One of the pages I formatted said that it was used by yogis in the Himalayas to help induce cosmic consciousness. I tried it and found it very relaxing and mood enhancing. It also sharpened my concentration.
It has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for hundreds of years to treat a large range of health issues. The highly acclaimed Dr. Vasant Lad states that it is “perhaps the most important rejuvenative herb in Ayurvedic medicine.”
If you know anything about ayurveda, you probably already know a lot about gotu kola. But for those of you that don’t, I want to share what I think is pretty amazing information. People need to know that there are alternatives to traditional medicine. Cost of traditional medicine is one issue; and the side effects of pharmaceuticals are another. And in the United States, stress is an epidemic and I know first hand how effective gotu kola is with that issue.
Those are two of the reasons I recommend it-its low cost and its effectiveness. But what I learned today topped everything. I discovered that in 1933, a man died in China who was 256 years old. This was reported in Time Magazine, The New York Times, and the London Times. His name was Li Chung Yuen. His age was officially recorded by the Chinese Government and confirmed by the investigations of Professor Wu Chung Chich, head of the Chang-Tu University and also by the Chinese military commander, General Yang Sen, who wrote a book about it. Legend has it that he outlived 23 wives and was living with the 24th at the time of his death. On his 150th and 200th birthdays he was congratulated by the Chinese Government-a recognition well deserved.
He attributed his longevity to vegetarianism, brisk daily walks, and drinking an herbal formula made primarily from — you guessed it — gotu kola. He was an herbalist. He was lecturing at a university in China at the age of 200, on his secrets of longevity. The proof is in the pudding, as they say.
Here are some of the facts about his life that I found:
He was born in 1677 in Chyi Jiang Hsie, Szechuan province. He joined the Chinese army at the age of 71, as a tactical advisor and teacher of the martial arts. He spent most of his life in the mountain ranges gathering and learning about herbs.
In 1927 the General Yang Sen invited Li Chun Yuen to his residence in Wann Hsien, Szechuan province, so he could see for himself this marvel of a man who was then 249 years old.
General Yang Sen, as I mentioned above, investigated the life of Li Ching Yuen after his death and compiled his findings in a book, entitled, A Factual Account of the 250 Year-Old Good-Luck Man, which was published by the Chinese and Foreign Literature Storehouse in Taipei, Taiwan. Here is an excerpt of his findings:
All of the information available indicates the story is true. Li Ching-Yuen’s legacy to us is the fact that it is possible for a human being to live more than 200 years if he or she knows how. Because of this we deeply believe that, if we humbly study and research, the day will come when everyone will live at least 200 years.
The incredible longevity and the claims about gotu kola made an impact, creating a stir in scientific circles, with most scientists dismissing the claims attributed to gotu kola by Li Chung Yuen. But one scientist was intrigued and investigated further. That was the French biochemist Jules Lepine. He found the leaves to have powerful rejuvenating effects on the nerves, brain cells, and endocrine system. Professor Menier of the Academic Scientifique near Paris confirmed Lepine’s findings in separate studies.


There have been numerous other studies since, each discovering more benefits than was known prior. Herbalist Isabell Shipard, from Australia, has compiled a list of ailments that gotu kola is effective in treating: ADD, peptic ulcers, auto-immune, diseases, stress, gynaecological disorders, asthma, low thyroid, function, neuritits, male tonic, menopausal problems, eczema, scrofula, venereal diseases, cirrhosis, diarrhea, high blood pressure, larangitis, stomach ache, muscular atrophy, fatigue, sore throat, schizophrenia, thrombosis, brain tonic, respiratory ailments, influenza, blood purifier, food poisoning, vaginitis, diabetes, baldness, wounds, age spots, nervous break down, poor circulation, insomnia, retinal detachment, dysentry, liver problems, to increase energy, epilepsy, pleurisy, premenstrual pain, hair loss, blood disorders, mycosis fungoides, dementia, infections, peridontal disease, colds, coughing blood, vomitting blood, senility, hemorrhoids, prickly heat rash, measles, poor appetite, atherosclerosis, depression, skin ulcers, urinary tract infection, candida, tuberculosis, mental retardation, sexual debility, elephantitis, fibrocystic breast disease, gastric, hypochondria, ankylosing spondylitis, skin ulcers, failing eyesight, abscesses, mouth ulcers, impotence, stomach upsets, bruises, scleroderma, herpes, cramps, exam tonic, lupus, bowel disorders, fluid retention, hepatitis, swollen glands, intestinal worms, convulsions, surgical wounds, dermatitis, joint mobility, bowel disorders, anemia, hardening of arteries, tingling in legs, to stimulate the liver, bladder, kidneys, stimulate central, and nervous system.
Wow! No wonder Li Chung Yun lived such a long life. He didn’t have to worry about all the things that can go wrong with the human body. I have some of these health concerns. I’ll let you know how they respond to the gotu kola.
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