18
Bacopa Monnieri
Bacopa monnieri is a perennial creeping herb in the Plantaginaceae family. It’s native to south India, where it has been used as a medicinal herb in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. It possesses thick, oblong leaves and small white flowers. It can be found in marshy areas throughout south Asia and the southern U.S.
Bacopa monnieri goes by several names, including water hyssop and thyme-leafed gratiola. In India, it’s known as brahmi, named after the Hindu god of creation – Brahma.
Bacopa monnieri was first mentioned in several Indian medicinal texts during the 6th century, where it was believed to have been used by Vedic scholars to help them memorize lengthy hymns, poems and scripture passages.
In Ayurveda, it has a reputation as an herb that can sharpen intellect and overcome poor cognition. It has also been highly regarded for its antioxidant and tranquilizing properties, and is considered a strong adaptogen.
Bacopa Monnieri Benefits
Adaptogenic plants and herbs have the unique ability to provide the body with whatever it needs to survive and thrive. These special plants help the body adapt to stressful situations, whether they are environmental, physical, mental, or emotional. They also return the body to a state of homeostasis, or balance.
This 2003 study on the adaptogenic effects of bacopa concluded that “B. monniera possesses potent adaptogenic activity.”[95]
Bacopa monnieri also has an impressive antioxidant profile, as it possesses a number of sterols, flavonoids, and saponin bacosides. It’s the bacosides unique to bacopa that are responsible for many of its health benefits, particularly brain health.
Bacosides are a powerful antioxidant for the brain – an organ that uses 20% of the body’s oxygen. Because of this, it is prone to more free radical damage than other organs. And if you don’t already know, antioxidants are important for reducing the effects of free radical damage, which can cause numerous diseases. To put it simply, these special antioxidants in bacopa protect brain cells.
Bacosides also improve nerve conduction, and aid in the repair of damaged neurons. They improve memory, recall ability, learning, and concentration. They prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In short, they help prevent age-related cognitive decline.
This 2010 double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed a beneficial connection between bacopa monnieri supplementation and memory.[96] The participants, age 55 and older, were divided into two groups – one consumed 300 mg/day of a bacopa extract, while the other received a placebo.
In the words of the researchers, “Bacopa significantly improved verbal learning, memory acquisition, and delayed recall.”
To learn more about bacopa’s impressive contribution to brain health, check out this video by Dr. James Meschino, as he explains why bacopa monnieri is such a special herb for the improvement of all conditions brain related. He is definitely one of my favorite authorities on super herbs.
Benefits of supplementing with bacopa monnieri are numerous and include …
- Improved liver health
- Reduction in anxiety
- Reduction in depression
- Reduction in stress
- Improved cognitive ability
- Improved mood
- Treatment for ADD and ADHD
- Treatment for ulcers
- Treatment for allergies and asthma
- Improved gastrointestinal health
Bacopa monnieri improves gastrointestinal health by helping to relax the intestinal muscles. It also supports the production of beneficial mucus in the gastrointestinal tract. This mucus layer protects the digestive tract from the acidic environment required to break down food.
Bacopa also aids in the absorption of nutrients. And without proper absorption, it matters little how well you eat, or what superfoods you consume.
Bacopa monnieri helps to reduce inflammation in the bronchioles – the passageways by which air passes through the nose and mouth to the alveoli of the lungs. It also relaxes the muscles that control blood vessels and airway passages. All of which help to improve respiratory conditions like asthma and allergies.
This 2012 study on the effects of a bacopa monnieri extract on guinea pig trachea found improvements to the “smooth muscles that may rationalize its relaxant action on guinea-pig trachea and its traditional use in respiratory disorders.“[97]
Bacopa monnieri boosts the effects of certain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, acetylcholine, and GABA. All of which help to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress, while also improving mood.
A 2008 study on the effects of bacopa monnieri on cognition, anxiety and depression showed significant improvements in cognitive performance for the 24 participants in the bacopa group.[98] Participants with an average age of 74 were divided into two groups – one receiving 300 mg/day of a bacopa extract, and the other a placebo.
Depression scores for the placebo group were actually higher at the end of the study, while the opposite was true for the bacopa group. The bacopa group also showed a decline in anxiety levels, along with substantial improvements in the areas of memory and concentration.
I’m not a huge fan of Dr. Oz, but I’ll conclude with a quote from him anyway concerning the super herb bacopa.
Bacopa Monnieri will make you smarter, enhance your memory, and help you focus better.
Bacopa Monnieri Uses
Bacopa monnieri is one herb that you’ll have to use more as a supplement than a food. You should easily be able to find it in powder or capsule form, so focus more on a high quality source than the form you’re taking it.
Two other things to keep in mind – bacopa can sometimes upset the stomach, so it’s advisable to take it with food. And also, like some other herbs, it takes time for the benefits to be fully realized. Give it a couple of months, rather than a couple of weeks.
According to Examine.com, bacopa monnieri is fat soluble and requires a lipoid transporter to be absorbed, which gives you another reason to take it alongside a meal. Preferably one with some fat in it.
To learn more about bacopa monnieri and its benefits, don’t forget to check out Dr. Meschino’s video. And if interested in learning even more (what an inquisitive mind you have), here is the bacopa guide that Dr. Meschino references in the video.
If interested in giving bacopa a try, Lost Empire Herbs has a wonderful bacopa extract that I recommend.