Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri) is an herb with a rich history of use in Ayurveda and other traditional medicine systems, primarily as a nerve tonic and nootropic.
Traditionally, bacopa was used to primarily enhance cognition and memory recall.
Modern-day research has shown that bacopa may indeed have these cognitive and nootropic benefits, as well as benefits for mood disorders, cancer, and other ailments.
In this article, we’ll go over the main bioactive compounds in bacopa, its health benefits, dosage, and safety.
Table of Contents
What is Bacopa?
Bacopa, known scientifically as Bacopa monnieri, is a perennial herb found growing primarily in wetland regions. It’s found in these wetland areas throughout many areas of the world, including southern India, Australia, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
There are also many other common names for bacopa, including brahmi, water hyssop, thyme-leafed gratiola, herb of grace, and Indian pennywort.
Typically, all parts of the plant are used for medicinal purposes, either fresh or dried.
There are a number of beneficial constituents in bacopa, including the following:
- Brahmine and other alkaloids
- Flavonoids, such as luteolin
- Saponins, including bacosides and bacopasides, and bacopasaponins
- Triterpenes, such as beta-sitosterol and sigmasterol
Bacopa is also considered one of the best herbs for zinc.
Among these, the bacosides have received the most attention for their potential benefits, especially related to cognitive function and brain health.
Health Benefits of Bacopa:
Due to the many bioactive constituents in bacopa, it is unsurprising that bacopa was used as a traditional medicine for many years.
Today, modern research has illuminated a number of different health benefits of bacopa, many of which have been found in clinical trials. The main researched benefits of bacopa are listed below.
1. May Improve Cognitive Function
Bacopa has received the most attention as a nootropic/brain-enhancer. There are a number of clinical trials showing that bacopa benefits cognitive function and brain health.
In one double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, participants who received 300mg of bacopa extract had significant improvements in learning, memory, and overall cognitive function compared to placebo. Moreover, the bacopa group also had significantly lower anxiety levels compared to the control group.
Next, a 90-day clinical trial involving 62 subjects found that those who took 300mg of bacopa had significantly better working memory (which is essentially short-term memory) and information processing compared to the control group.
Also, in a placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 60 medical students, those who took a standardized bacopa extract had significant increases in cognitive functioning compared to placebo, including improved memory recall, attention, and reaction time.
Another clinical study looked into the effects of Bacopa monnieri in middle-aged adults. The researchers found that bacopa was associated with significant increases in information retention compared to the placebo. However, no significant changes were found for short-term memory, attention, or everyday memory function.
In another clinical study conducted on 98 individuals aged 55 and over, the group who received 300mg of bacopa per day had a significant increase in verbal learning, memory acquisition, and retention compared to placebo.
Lastly, in a clinical trial involving 60 healthy elderly individuals, the researchers found that Bacopa monnieri extract (either 300mg or 600mg) was related to significant improvements in working memory, attention, and cognitive processing. They also studied the effects on certain brain systems and found that those who took bacopa had suppressed acetylcholinesterase activity, which leads to higher acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter important for memory, focus, and cognition.
Summary:
Clinical human studies indicate that bacopa may benefit brain health and function by improving information retention, memory recall, and focus.
2. May Help with Dementia
In addition to cognitive benefits for healthy individuals, it also seems that bacopa benefits brain health for people with neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
In one year-long clinical study in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment, researchers compared the effects of bacopa supplementation (300mg) to donepezil (a common Alzheimer’s medication). They found that there was no significant difference between the two treatments and that both appeared to slightly improve memory and reduce cognitive impairment.
Next, in a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial, researchers recruited healthy elderly individuals and those with senile dementia of Alzheimer’s type (SDAT). The elderly individuals with SDAT were given either donepezil or 500mg of an herbal compound containing bacopa, sea-buckthorn (Hippophae ramnoides), and aerial yam (Dioscorea bulbifera).
After 12 months, the researchers found that the mixture of bacopa and other herbs was associated with significant improvements in cognitive function, such as attention and recall, compared to the donepezil group. The herbal group also showed significantly lower levels of inflammation and oxidative stress compared to the donepezil group.
In a pilot study involving patients with dementia, supplementing with 250mg of bacopa for 12 weeks appeared to reduce further cognitive decline and mental deterioration typically associated with dementia.
Also, in an uncontrolled clinical study, Bacopa monnieri extract supplementation led to significant improvements in aspects of cognitive function, such as time orientation, attention, and comprehension. The researchers also noted that Bacopa monnieri seemed to improve overall quality of life, while also decreasing irritability and insomnia.
Finally, one study determined a few specific neuroprotective effects of bacopa th