Description

Written by Carlos Tello, PhD (Molecular Biology) | Reviewed by Ana Aleksic, MSc (Pharmacy) | Last updated: November 14, 2019 — https://selfhacked.com/blog/bacopa-monnieri-4/

INTRODUCTION

Bacopa Monnieri is an Ayurvedic herb claimed to relax and mentally-stimulate all at once. It’s commonly known for its mood-enhancing and anti-inflammatory benefits, but this is just scratching the surface of its medicinal potential. Read on to discover the benefits of Bacopa, along with the possible side effects.

What Is Bacopa Monnieri?

Bacopa Monnieri is an herb native to the wetlands of southern India and Australia, often growing as a weed in rice fields. The entire plant is used medicinally in the Indian traditional medicine system of Ayurveda.

Use in Ayurveda

In India, Bacopa is locally known as brahmi after “Brahma,” the mythical creator of the Hindu pantheon. Ayurvedic practitioners classify it as a medhya rasayana – a herb taken to sharpen the intellect and improve mental deficits. In other words, Bacopa is probably one of the oldest-known nootropics in the world.

Allegedly, ancient Vedic scholars used Bacopa Monnieri to better memorise lengthy sacred hymns and scriptures. They often combined it with other supposed intellect-sharpening herbs like Gotu Kola. Preparations with Bacopa are also commonly prescribed for cognitive dysfunction in Ayurveda.

Ayurveda doesn’t separate herbs that enhance cognition in healthy people from those that lessen existing cognitive problems. That’s why Bacopa is equally popular among young professionals and students as it is among older people.

Modern Potential

Bacopa’s power may lie in offsetting cognitive decline with aging. We’re on a quest to increase lifespan, but we should really be seeking to increase health-span – life lived in good health. To achieve this, we should maintain mental sharpness, brain health, and work capacity into old age.

Just in the US, over 3.4 million people suffer from dementia and most of them are over 65 years of age. Many more cases of subtle (sub-clinical) cognitive dysfunction go undiagnosed, as is the case with “brain fog”. Bacopa is a revitalising, relaxing, and mentally-stimulating herb that may support our health-span extension quest.

A number of recent studies have looked into Bacopa’s therapeutic potential. The herb contains a mix of synergistic compounds that could protect the brain, scavenge free radicals, and increase acetylcholine – the most important neurotransmitter for memory and learning. And unlike many smart drugs, Bacopa seems to cause minimal side effects.

Active Components

Bacopa Monnieri contains a mixture of active compounds. Some are unique to it, like brahmine, the first alkaloid isolated from the herb. It also contains apigenin, a relaxing alkaloid found in many plants such as chamomile.

However, its most important active compounds are its bacosides, so-called steroidal saponins. These plant compounds are responsible for improving learning and memory. Over 12 unique bacosides have been discovered in Bacopa so far.

BENEFITS

Mechanism of Action

Bacopa increases levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which enhances cognition and intellectual capacities. The body uses acetylcholine for cholinergic activity, which counteracts the fight-or-flight response. It gets the body into a state of “resting and digesting.” Rest also enables a higher state of consciousness: selective attention, perception, and memory.

Specifically, Bacopa has dual boosting action: it inhibits acetylcholinesterase – the enzyme that breaks acetylcholine down, and activates choline acetyltransferase – the enzyme that produces acetylcholine.

Bacopa can also increase serotonin and GABA in the hippocampus. Serotonin improves mood, GABA increases feelings of calmness, and the hippocampus is the brain’s hub for memory and emotions.

One group of scientists discovered that bacopa may help neurons branch out. In their study, it increased dendritic branching – dendrites being the parts of neurons that send out information by connecting with other neurons. Better-branched neurons may enhance learning and memory.

Enhancing Cognitive Function & Memory

Bacopa enhances cognitive function, attention, and reaction time, according to a review of 9 studies and over 500 people. Additionally, Bacopa improves language skills and symptoms of hyperactivity and attention-deficit in children and adolescents, according to another review.

Bacopa improved cognitive function and lessened anxiety and depression in 54 people over 65 years of age. In another trial of 98 people over 55 years of age, 300 mg/d of Bacopa extract enhanced learning and memory. Bacopa also improved memory in a trial of 76 people aged 40 to 65 years. After supplementing, the participants were significantly better at remembering new information.

Bacopa leaf extracts significantly enhanced learning and memory in rats. They also maintained good memory in mice given drugs that trigger brain damage and amnesia. One of the tested drugs it protected against was Diazepam (Valium), an anti-anxiety medication known to produce “brain fog”-like side effects in the long run.

Protecting the Gut & Stomach

In a trial of 169 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Bacopa in combination with Indian Bael, reduced symptoms in 65% of the patients. People who suffered from the diarrhoea form of IBS experienced the greatest improvement. Bacopa also relaxed the smooth muscles of the intestine in animal studies. This may reduce spasms, which are common in IBS.

Bacopa may also help control and heal stomach ulcers. In rat studies, bacopa extract healed stomach ulcers, likely by strengthening the mucous membrane lining of the stomach.

Stress & Depression

Bacopa Monnieri reduced stress and depression in 2 small trials on 71 people. It also lowered the stress hormone cortisol.

Stress produces changes in blood and brain chemistry: in the blood, cortisol levels rise; in the brain, nor-adrenaline levels rise and serotonin and dopamine levels fall. In one rat study, Bacopa normalised all of these changes.

Seizures

Bacopa seems to calm excessive activity in the brain, which might explain its potential anti-seizure benefits. In a trial of 50 children, an herbal remedy containing Bacopa prevented mild seizures during episodes of fever.

Bacopa also prevented or reduced epileptic seizures in rats. It might work by lowering glutamate and increasing GABA levels in the brain. Its extract also protected rats from depression linked with epilepsy.

Increasing Muscles & Strength

Bacopa contains ecdysterone, a plant steroid that promotes muscle growth in animals and apparently lacks the adverse side effects of synthetic muscle building steroids.

Its use has been described in Russian scientific literature and the drug is approved by the Pharmaceutical Committee of Russian Federation for medical use as a general tonic preparation. In strength training athletes, ecdysteroids increased muscle mass, strength and endurance, and reduced body fat levels. Because the studies haven’t been translated from Russian, we couldn’t access their specifics for a critical analysis.

Increasing Longevity

Antioxidant defences usually drop with ageing, while oxidative stress increases. In mice, Bacopa prevented the formation of Malondialdehyde and Lipofuscin, which are key indicators of ageing. It also restored antioxidant balance in aged mice.

What’s more, Bacopa increased the lifespan of C. Elegans, a worm species famous for its use in longevity studies. In C. Elegans worms under stress, Bacopa enhanced stress tolerance, turned on stress-fighting genes (specific heat shock proteins like hsp-16.2), and scavenged free radicals.

Protecting the Brain

In rats, Bacopa increased blood flow and reduced inflammation in the brain. It also stimulated the growth of neurons and reduced oxidative damage from aluminum and mercury.

Heart Support

In rats, bacopa reduced blood pressure and protected the heart against damage from lack of oxygen. The extract also reduced cholesterol and protected the aorta from the effects of high cholesterol.

In combination with other herbs, Bacopa protected both the heart and kidneys against damage in rats. Bacopa triggers the release of nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels and reduces blood pressure. The extract dissolved blood clots in a cell study, which might help reduce excessive blood clotting that can clog the arteries.

Protecting the Liver

Tylenol is known to cause liver damage, and people with any kind of liver issue know they should avoid it in high doses. Bacopa protected the liver against damage from Tylenol in rats. It reduced alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin – markers of liver damage. Plus, Bacopa increased the activity of key liver antioxidants, catalase and glutathione.

In other rat studies, Bacopa extract protected the liver from injury caused by toxic drugs (including morphine and nitrobenzene).

Opioid Dependence & Withdrawal Symptoms

Bacosides may help people overcome opioid dependence and difficult withdrawal symptoms. Clinical research is needed, but the animal studies so far are promising.

In mice, bacopa extract prevented depression symptoms associated with morphine withdrawal. A tissue study confirmed that bacopa reduced the unwanted effects of the opioid blocker naloxone, possibly making withdrawal less drastic.

In another rat study, the extract prevented kidney and liver damage from opioids. In mice, it prevented opioid-triggered surges in neurotransmitters such as dopamine. In healthy people, dopamine increases motivation. But in people who struggle with addiction, it reinforces craving.

Drug Interactions

Bacopa may increase the effects of the antidepressant Amitriptyline. Talk to your doctor before using Bacopa if you are on this drug.

Special Populations

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, avoid Bacopa due to the lack of safety data.

RESEARCH DOSAGE

The most common dosage across studies was 300-450 mg extract/day

Disclaimer