🌾Vietnamese Traditional Medicine

Rau Má (Gotu Kola)

vegetable

Conditions addressed

MemoryWound HealingAnxietyCirculationSkin Health

How to use

1–2 cups cooked or raw daily
  • Eat steamed, roasted, stir-fried, or raw in salads.
  • Lightly cooking increases digestibility.

Pregnancy, Breastfeeding & Children

No herb-specific pregnancy/child safety research is documented for Rau Má (Gotu Kola) in our references — the guidance below is based on its general effect category, not research on Rau Má (Gotu Kola) itself. Always confirm with a midwife, doctor, or pediatrician.

Pregnancy

Use Caution

This herb has blood-thinning (antiplatelet/anticoagulant) activity. These are generally used cautiously in pregnancy and are typically discontinued in the weeks before delivery due to bleeding risk — this is a general, mechanism-based caution, not herb-specific research.

Breastfeeding

Likely Safe

Blood-thinning herbs are generally considered lower-risk during breastfeeding than in late pregnancy, though caution is still reasonable, especially at concentrated doses.

Children

Use Caution

Blood-thinning herbs are generally used cautiously in children, particularly around any planned surgery or dental work.

Interactions & contraindications

Sedatives, liver-metabolized medications

Additive sedative effect; rare liver enzyme changes reported with prolonged use.