Bacopa Monnieri (Brahmi)
Bacopa Monnieri or Brahmi as it is also commonly known is a creeping wetland herb from India. It has a long use in ancient ayurvedic medicine as a brain tonic. In recent years much research has been completed into the memory enhancement effects of bacopa monnieri. The studies below demonstrate that supplementation with bacopa monnieri over the long term can enhanced memory significantly. These results have been repeated in several studies confirming the results. This herb could be especially effective for students because it reduced forgetting of newly required information.
Most beneficial for - anyone wanting improved memory (especially people learning new things)
Effective dose - 300mg of extract daily (this is equivalent to 6-9g of plant material or 130-200mg of bacosides)
Length of action - Need to take for at least one month before memory effects emerge. Memory continues to improve up to 3 months of continuous use.
Safety - No adverse effects reported at normal doses in humans. No adverse effects observed in rats up to 500mg/kg of extract (equivalent to about a 30-50gram dose in humans)
Type cognition effected - retention of learned information
Enhancers - not known
Supporting Human Studies
Chronic Effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) on Human Memory (Roodenrys et al, 2002)
In this study 76 adults aged between 40 and 65 took part in a double blind placebo controlled trial testing the effects on various functions of memory. Participants took extract equivalent to 6g or 9g of plant material depending on body size every day for 3 months. Results showed a significant increase in the retention rate of newly aquired information (ie: it was harder for their brains to forget newly learned information).
Randomized controlled trial of standardized Bacopa monniera extract in age-associated memory impairment (Raghav et al, 2006)
Forty people with age related memory impairment were participated in a double blind placebo controlled trial. They were given 125mg twice daily of a bacopa monnieri extract or a placebo for twelve weeks. Several measures of memory were found to be significantly better in those taking the bacopa monnieri extract compared to the placebo group and before they began the trial. Areas that appeared to improve the most were retention of learned information.
Effects of a Standardized Bacopa monnieri Extract on Cognitive Performance, Anxiety, and Depression in the Elderly: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial(Calabrese et al, 2008)
Forty eight people 65 or older without clinical dementia participated in this double blind placebo controlled study. Participants recieved either 300mg of bacopa monnieri extract or a placebo for 12 weeks. The group recieving the bacopa monnieri extract had enhanced performance in tests for delayed recall (remembering learned information) and ignoring irrelevant information.
Does Bacopa monnieri Improve Memory Performance in Older Persons? Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial (Morgan and Stevens, 2010)
A double blind placebo cotrolled trial involving 81 healthy Australians 55 or older. Participants recieved either a placebo or 300mg of bacopa monnieri extract (BacoMind) for 12 weeks. Tests after twelve weeks showed significant improvements in verbal learning, memory aquisition, delayed recall, total learning and retroactive interference.
Examining the nootropic effects of a special extract of Bacopa Monnieri on human cognitive functioning:90 day double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial (Stough et al, 2008)
Sixty two participants took either 300mg of a bacopa monnieri extract (keenMind) or a placebo daily for 90 days. Cognitive test were performed before and after 90 days. Those taking the bacopa monnieri extract had significantly better performance on working memory tests and specifically spacial working memory accuracy.
Supporting Animal Studies
Bacopa monniera exerts antiamnesic effect on diazepam-induced anterograde amnesia in mice (Prabhakar et al, 2008)
Benzodiazepine drugs were used to produce amnesia in mice. Mice performed memory tests in a maze with and without the addition of 120mg/kg of bacopa monnieri extract after receiving benzodiazapines. The addition of bacopa monnieri significantly reversed the amnesia caused by the drugs.
Contradictory Studies
Effects of a combined extract of Ginkgo biloba and Bacopa monniera on cognitive function in healthy humans (Nathan et al, 2004)
Eighty five healthy subjects participated in this double blind placebo controlled trial. One group received 120mg of ginkgo biloba extract and 300mg of bacopa monnieri extract daily while the other group a placebo. The trial lasted for 4 weeks. Various cognitive test were performed at 2 and 4 weeks respectively. No significant improvement in memory or cognition were observed between the ginkgo/bacopa group and the placebo group after 2 or 4 weeks.
Safety Studies
Safety evaluation of a standardized phytochemical composition extracted from Bacopa monnieri in Sprague–Dawley rats (Allan et al, 2007)
Test performed on rats showed that they could handle 500mg/kg of bacopa monnieri extract without any adverse effects.
Most beneficial for - anyone wanting improved memory (especially people learning new things)
Effective dose - 300mg of extract daily (this is equivalent to 6-9g of plant material or 130-200mg of bacosides)
Length of action - Need to take for at least one month before memory effects emerge. Memory continues to improve up to 3 months of continuous use.
Safety - No adverse effects reported at normal doses in humans. No adverse effects observed in rats up to 500mg/kg of extract (equivalent to about a 30-50gram dose in humans)
Type cognition effected - retention of learned information
Enhancers - not known
Supporting Human Studies
Chronic Effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) on Human Memory (Roodenrys et al, 2002)
In this study 76 adults aged between 40 and 65 took part in a double blind placebo controlled trial testing the effects on various functions of memory. Participants took extract equivalent to 6g or 9g of plant material depending on body size every day for 3 months. Results showed a significant increase in the retention rate of newly aquired information (ie: it was harder for their brains to forget newly learned information).
Randomized controlled trial of standardized Bacopa monniera extract in age-associated memory impairment (Raghav et al, 2006)
Forty people with age related memory impairment were participated in a double blind placebo controlled trial. They were given 125mg twice daily of a bacopa monnieri extract or a placebo for twelve weeks. Several measures of memory were found to be significantly better in those taking the bacopa monnieri extract compared to the placebo group and before they began the trial. Areas that appeared to improve the most were retention of learned information.
Effects of a Standardized Bacopa monnieri Extract on Cognitive Performance, Anxiety, and Depression in the Elderly: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial(Calabrese et al, 2008)
Forty eight people 65 or older without clinical dementia participated in this double blind placebo controlled study. Participants recieved either 300mg of bacopa monnieri extract or a placebo for 12 weeks. The group recieving the bacopa monnieri extract had enhanced performance in tests for delayed recall (remembering learned information) and ignoring irrelevant information.
Does Bacopa monnieri Improve Memory Performance in Older Persons? Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial (Morgan and Stevens, 2010)
A double blind placebo cotrolled trial involving 81 healthy Australians 55 or older. Participants recieved either a placebo or 300mg of bacopa monnieri extract (BacoMind) for 12 weeks. Tests after twelve weeks showed significant improvements in verbal learning, memory aquisition, delayed recall, total learning and retroactive interference.
Examining the nootropic effects of a special extract of Bacopa Monnieri on human cognitive functioning:90 day double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial (Stough et al, 2008)
Sixty two participants took either 300mg of a bacopa monnieri extract (keenMind) or a placebo daily for 90 days. Cognitive test were performed before and after 90 days. Those taking the bacopa monnieri extract had significantly better performance on working memory tests and specifically spacial working memory accuracy.
Supporting Animal Studies
Bacopa monniera exerts antiamnesic effect on diazepam-induced anterograde amnesia in mice (Prabhakar et al, 2008)
Benzodiazepine drugs were used to produce amnesia in mice. Mice performed memory tests in a maze with and without the addition of 120mg/kg of bacopa monnieri extract after receiving benzodiazapines. The addition of bacopa monnieri significantly reversed the amnesia caused by the drugs.
Contradictory Studies
Effects of a combined extract of Ginkgo biloba and Bacopa monniera on cognitive function in healthy humans (Nathan et al, 2004)
Eighty five healthy subjects participated in this double blind placebo controlled trial. One group received 120mg of ginkgo biloba extract and 300mg of bacopa monnieri extract daily while the other group a placebo. The trial lasted for 4 weeks. Various cognitive test were performed at 2 and 4 weeks respectively. No significant improvement in memory or cognition were observed between the ginkgo/bacopa group and the placebo group after 2 or 4 weeks.
Safety Studies
Safety evaluation of a standardized phytochemical composition extracted from Bacopa monnieri in Sprague–Dawley rats (Allan et al, 2007)
Test performed on rats showed that they could handle 500mg/kg of bacopa monnieri extract without any adverse effects.