When applied twice daily for 28 days alongside diet and exercise, gotu kola (in a multi-ingredient formula) showed modest improvements over placebo: thigh circumference reduced by 1.2cm vs 0.8cm, skinfold thickness decreased by 3.7mm vs 2.0mm, and fat mass dropped by 100g vs 57g. The difference is real but small—this ingredient works best as a supporting player, not a solo act.

7 women followed a calorie-restricted diet and walked 150 minutes weekly. They applied either the active formula or placebo to one leg each for 4 weeks, with measurements taken before and after using X-ray body composition scans.

Funding not disclosed in abstract