Bacopa Monnieri as a Nootropic

Bacopa is an Ayurvedic “adaptogen” herb that may enhance and accelerate learning and mental performance under stress.

Bacopa has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic health practices as a Brahmi herb to enhance cognitive function. Modern research backs traditional uses, suggesting Bacopa has many brain-boosting activities:

• Protects brain cells. Bacopa is an antioxidant that rejuvenates the activity of other potent brain enzyme antioxidants, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx).¹
• Fights brain plaque deposits. Early animal research seems to suggest it may help to fight the amyloid plaque deposits that are tied to Alzheimer’s.
• Anti-inflammatory. Bacopa exhibits soothing effects that appear to counter the inflammation that contributes to brain degeneration and cognitive decline.
• Anti-cholinesterase. It neutralizes the enzyme that attacks and degrades acetylcholine, an important brain chemical for memory and mental performance.
• Brain circulation booster. Researchers have suggested that Bacopa’s cerebral circulation benefits may partly account for its nootropic effects.

Overview

Bacopa monniera (sometimes spelled Bacopa Monnieri, or simply called Bacopa) is an herb that has long been used in India’s Ayurvedic health system. Ayurveda uses many botanicals, including a special class called “medhyarasayanas” that are used to improve memory, elevate cognitive function, and help restore lost brainpower.² Also known in Ayurveda as the “Herb of Grace,” Bacopa belongs to a subclass of medhyarasayanas known as Brahmi. This literally translates to “The Energy of Brahma,” with Brahma being the Hindu God of creative ability and universal consciousness.

Modern investigations appear to validate Bacopa’s revered status in Ayurvedic traditions and its longstanding uses as an herbal brain-booster. While Bacopa has dozens of potential active ingredients, science identified botanical compounds called bacosides as its primary nootropic “active ingredients.” Let’s look at some of the research on how bacosides may influence brain health and function.

How does Bacopa monnieri feel?

Like an academic’s dream supplement. Bacopa is strongly associated with memory, with an emphasis on aspects of learning: Knowledge acquisition, retention and retrieval. Intriguing (but early!) animal research suggests Bacopa may promote “quick thinking” cognitive performance under stress, which is consistent with its reputation as an adaptogen herb. Bacopa’s multiple brain-supportive bio-activities seem well-suited for promoting long-term mental sharpness in aging minds, as well.

Research

Animal Research

There is abundant animal research on Bacopa, with many studies from the herb’s “home country” of India. The most compelling of these cognitive studies seem to suggest that Bacopa’s bacosides may:

• Increase cerebral blood flow by 25%, which may partly explain their ability to enhance cognitive performance (rat study).³
• Have anti-stress effects that may “prime” the brain for action under adverse conditions (rat study).⁴
• Ease short-term memory loss and amnesia, potentially by boosting neurotransmitters (acetylcholine and glutamate) and improving brain oxygenation (mouse study).⁵
• Supply antioxidant activity that extends to fight free radicals in the hippocampal region of the brain, which is a center of emotion and memory (rat study).⁶
• Improve the brain’s acquisition and retention of information while accelerating reaction time across a range of different learning situations (rat study).⁷
• Exert anti-depressant effects, with results seen after five days of supplementation (rat study).⁸
• Block formation beta-amyloid deposits in the brain. Beta-amyloid is a type of “brain plaque” that is strongly implicated in the onset of Alzheimer’s.⁹

Human Research

Human studies on Bacopa are not nearly as prevalent as animal studies–there are just a handful, most of which have design flaws that may limit their value. Nevertheless, some human studies seem to reinforce animal research findings, supporting Bacopa as a multifaceted brain-booster:

Bacopa 300 mg and 450 mg may help you retain new learning longer

One double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study investigated how Bacopa might help various aspects of memory. Researchers administered the herb to 76 participants, all of whom were between the ages of 40 and 65, for a span of six months, with cognitive performance tests conducted before the study, at the three-month mark, and at the conclusion. Subjects received 300 mg Bacopa dosage if they weighed under 90 kilograms and 450 mg if over 90 kilos.

• Researchers concluded that Bacopa significantly affected the retention of new information, leading them to suggest that the herb appeared to “decrease the rate of forgetting newly acquired information.” Bacopa had no effect on short-term memory or attention span.¹⁰

Bacopa 300 mg seems to accelerate mental processing

A fairly good study administered Bacopa 300 mg or placebo daily to healthy human volunteers for a span of 12 weeks, with cognitive testing conducted at the 5-week mark and conclusion. At the study’s end, researchers reported that Bacopa significantly improved several measures of cognitive health, including speed of visual information processing, learning rate, memory consolidation, and anxiety levels when compared to placebo. These brain health benefits became more evident as the study progressed, with maximum effects noted at the study’s conclusion.

• Researchers concluded that Bacopa “may improve higher order cognitive processes” that depend on acquisition and processing of external information, including learning and memory.¹¹

Standardized Bacopa 300 mg might help Alzheimer’s patients’ mental states

A study gave 39 newly-diagnosed Alzheimer’s patients between the ages of 60 and 65 standardized Bacopa monnieri 300 mg (as Bacognize®) 2X daily for a span of six months. The patients were tested and given a Mini Mental State Examination Scale (MMSES) before starting the Bacopa supplementation and after the six-month study was completed. Researchers reported that the standardized Bacopa was associated with significant improvements across many aspects of the MMSES, including language comprehension, grasp of time, orientation of places, recognition of people, reading and writing. Patients also had self-reported improvements in quality of life and sleep, along with a reduction in irritability.

• At the study’s end, researchers concluded that “Bacopa monnieri standardized extract (Bacognize® 300 mg twice a day orally) for 6 months results in improvement in some aspects of cognitive functions in geriatric patients suffering from Alzheimer’s.” Although promising, this study was not placebo-controlled, and therefore should be viewed as weak evidence. Even researchers admitted that further study with a control group was needed to back up this study’s results.¹²

Dosage Notes

• A typical “plain” bacopa dosage is in the range of 500 mg, taken between one and three times daily.
• Standardized Bacopa monnieri supplements are more potent than equivalent doses of plain Bacopa, and therefore may use smaller doses. The higher the standardization percentage, the more active bacosides are present… and the more powerful the supplement will be.
• Highly concentrated Bacopa herbal extracts are also more powerful, and therefore may appear in supplements in smaller dosages.
• One study seemed to base its Bacopa dosage on bodyweight, using 300 mg for people who weighed less than (approximately) 200 pounds, and 450 mg for those over 200 pounds.
• Your best bet is to closely follow the manufacturer’s directions, as there are many forms of Bacopa with a wide range of potencies and different concentrations of active ingredients.

Side Effects

Bacopa monniera is well-tolerated. With traditional use of this herb stretching back hundreds of years, it appears to be safe, as well. Rare side effects may include stomach upset, dry mouth and muscle aches.

Available Forms

There are quite a few forms of Bacopa to be found in supplements:

• Plain Bacopa Monnieri: Just straight-up powdered leaf of the herb.
• Bacopa Monnieri Extract: This form concentrates the potency of the herb. Extracts may range from 10:1 (10 pounds Bacopa yield 1 pound of extract) all the way up to 100:1 concentration.
• Bacopa Liquid Extract: Typically, these liquid supplements are made with a grain alcohol extraction, dosed with a dropper, and mixed with a little water prior to consumption. Liquids may be preferred by some, especially elderly populations, who have difficulty swallowing pills.
• Standardized Bacopa: Standardized bacopa supplements are formulated to supply a specific, guaranteed level of the herb’s active compounds: Bacosides. Standardization may range from 2% to 55%, with the active ingredient on the label listed as “saponins,” “bacosides,” or “bacosides A+B,” which are all interchangeable.
• BaCognize®: This is a “branded” form of Bacopa Monnieri that is standardized to 45% bacosides and has been the subject of some clinical research.

In addition to these, some manufacturers may blend forms. For example, some will combine standardized bacopa with plain bacopa, which they justify by calling it a “full-spectrum” supplement. Organic and non-GMO bacopa may also be available.

Inside Scoop: Is Bacopa a natural anti-anxiety aid?

In Ayurvedic traditions, Bacopa–in addition to serving as a mental performance-booster–is considered a brain tonic for mental health. Modern researchers have explored this area as well, with one animal study finding that Bacopa monnieri’s anxiety-soothing effects were comparable to a popular anti-anxiety drug. Researchers pointed out a key difference, however, noting that Bacopa eased anxiety while boosting cognitive performance–while the drug eased anxiety via sedation that impairs cognitive performance.¹³ Supplement companies could never legally make this claim–but it’s an interesting possible bacopa benefit that you can look out for if you decide to try this nootropic herb.

References