Cognitive Enhancing Effects of Brahmi

Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi, Thyme-leafed gratiola, Water hyssop) is a perennial, creeping herb that grows in marshy areas throughout India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and is also found in Florida and other southern states of the USA.

Brahmi (Bacopa monniera Linn.) has a long history of use in the Ayurvedic medicine tradition in the treatment of a number of disorders, particularly those involving anxiety, intellect and poor memory

While Ayurvedic medicine has touted the cognitive enhancing effects of Bacopa monniera for centuries, there is a need for double-blind placebo-controlled investigations1.

Roodenrys et al2 in 2002 investigated seventy-six adults aged between 40 and 65 years in a double-blind randomized, placebo control study in which various memory functions were tested and levels of anxiety measured.

The participants were given three months supply of capsules at the dosage recommended by the manufacturers (300 mg for persons under 90 kg, and 450 mg for persons over 90 kg, equivalent to 6g and 9g dried rhizome, respectively).

The results show a significant effect of the Brahmi on a test for the retention of new information. Follow-up tests showed that the rate of learning was unaffected, suggesting that Brahmi decreases the rate of forgetting of newly acquired information.

However, tasks assessing attention, verbal and visual short-term memory and the retrieval of pre-experimental knowledge were unaffected, as were everyday memory function and anxiety.

1. A double-blind trial is a clinical trial design in which neither the participating individuals nor the study staff knows which participants are receiving the experimental drug and which are receiving a placebo. In this system, there is also often a more realistic distribution of sexes and ages of patients. Therefore double-blind trials are preferred, as they tend to give the most accurate results- wikipedia

2. Roodenrys S, Booth D, Bulzomi S, Phipps A, Micallef C, Smoker J.(2002): Chronic effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) on human memory. Neuropsychopharmacology. 27(2):279-81

3. MEMOR by Herbajules contains 68.7MG OF Bacopa monnieri whole plant extract in each capsule. It retails at RM38.80 per bottle of 60 capsules.

4. Picture from http://cerebralhealth.com/brainhealthblog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/cognitiveenhancers-250x300.jpg