Bacopa monnieri is a herb used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. In India, Bacopa monnieri is called brahmi. Extracts of brahmi have been reported to cause significant improvements in memory and learning in humans, and central nervous system effects are known to occur from taking extracts of the herb. Brahmi has also been shown to reduce anxiety. In one double blind placebo study, researchers fed healthy human subjects 160 mg Bacopa monnieri extract equivalent to 4 g dried herb or a placebo, and then exposed the subjects to neuropsychological testing. The results of the study showed that brahmi significantly improved the speed that the subjects could process visual information, significantly improved learning rate and memory consolidation, and significantly decreased anxiety. These effects were seen after 12 weeks of supplementation. Bacopa monnieri therefore may improve the memory and mood of healthy subjects, suggesting that it has significant central nervous system effects in humans.
Bacopa monnieri may works through a mechanism that involves decreasing stress levels. This is because bacopa monnieri has adaptogenic properties that allow it to reduce stress levels in animals. As stress is a significant factor in memory deterioration and mood disorders, reducing stress may be a significant factor in explaining the effects of the herbs. Image from: By J.M.Garg – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https:// commons.wikimedia.org/ w/ index.php?curid=7995641.
Eat Well, Stay Healthy, Protect Yourself
RdB
