Bacopa Monnieri - natural nootropic for memory

09 May 2024

Posted By: Łukasz Szostko Times Read: 416 Comments: 0

Natural nootropics are gaining popularity. Effective effect on improving mental performance and natural origin are advantages that attract attention. Bacopa monnieriis a nootropic plant that has been used for centuries in traditional Ayurvedic medicine to improve cognitive function. In today's fast-paced world, the ability to focus and remember information is even more valuable. In this article, we take a closer look at this remarkable plant and how it can help us improve our memory and concentration.

What is Bacopa monnieri?

In Polish, Bacopa monnieri is known as Small-leaved Bacopaor water hyssop. It is a small plant with small, rounded leaves and small, purple flowers, fond of moist areas. It was originally found in India and Australia, but its area of distribution is now expanding.

Bacopa monnieri undoubtedly deserves to be called a natural nootropic. As a nootropic it is used today, but it was also used for this purpose in Ayurvedic traditions thousands of years old.

Bacopa is also sometimes called Brahmi, although it shares this name with another herb - Gotu kola (Asiatic barberry). They share not only a name, but also properties. Both plants produce very similar effects in terms of their effect on memory and mood. The name Brahmi comes from the word "Brahma," the mythical "creator" in the Hindu pantheon. Since the brain is the center of creative activity, virtually any substance that improves brain health can be called Brahmi.

Bacopa monnieri's properties for health

The triterpene saponins called bacosides are mainly responsible for the herb's health-promoting properties. Historically, Bacopa has been used mainly to support cognitive abilities and improve mood, but its hepatoprotective properties are also known. Its overall antioxidant effects are also significant. Additionally, anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular tonic effects are possible.

In the Ayurvedic classification, Bacopa is categorized as a medhyarasayana, or memory and intellect booster.

Effects of Bacopa monnieri on memory and concentration

Bacopa monnieri extract is one of those nootropics that doesn't give an immediate kick. It is absolutely not a substitute for coffee, and its effect can, on the contrary, be calming. This effect will appeal to people who do not inherently have a problem with energy levels, but more with the ability to concentrate and remember information. However, if necessary, there is no contraindication to combining Bacopa with caffeine even in a single serving to obtain a broader spectrum of action.

Current evidence suggests that Bacopa acts through the following mechanisms:

antioxidant neuroprotection (via enzyme and redox induction),
inhibition of acetylcholinesterase or activation of choline acetyltransferase,
β-amyloid reduction,
increased cerebral blood flow,
modulation of neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, serotonin, dopamine).

The resultant of these actions gives not only better memory, but also neuroprotective effects. This is one of the properties that have earned Bacopa the title of a natural nootropic.

Studies indicate that Bacopa has the potential to improve memory even in healthy people without signs of dementia. Bacopa has been noted to effectively reduce the rate at which information is forgotten. In clinical studies, the effect on verbal memory was particularly pronounced. The characteristics of Bacopa monnieri's action make the procognitive effects long-lasting and very stable.

Effects of Bacopa monnieri on sleep, stress and anxiety

Although Bacopa is not as popular an adaptogen as Ginseng, Ashwagandha or Rhodiola, it still qualifies. This means that it can help you adapt to stressful conditions. In the case of Bacopa, this will apply more to emotional than physical stress. Here, the adaptogenic action is mainly based on modulation of neurotransmitter activity - their production, output and concentrations at synapses.

Bacopa's profile of action is unique. Many tranquilizers, such as benzodiazepine-type drugs, incidentally produce an amnestic effect, that is, they impair memory. Sometimes they are even used in scientific studies to induce amnesia. Bacopa, on the other hand, is an agent that both calms the nervous system and simultaneously stimulates memory processes.

The mechanisms of action responsible for the anti-anxiety and sedative propertiesalso offer the prospect of anticonvulsant action, which has been studied in a number of preclinical studies using Bacopa extracts on an epilepsy model. The issue is the effect on the activity of the GABA system. As a reminder, GABA is the main neurotransmitter that inhibits the function of our nervous system.

Dosage of Bacopa monnieri supplements and duration of use.

Bacopa extracts standardized to a minimum of 50% bacosides are the most popular. Less popular, but also present on the market, are extracts with 20% bacosides. The former type is usually used 1 or 2 times a day for 300-500 mg of the extract, which is usually equivalent to 1 capsule. For a less concentrated extract, take proportionally more to get a similar amount of bacosides.

Don't set yourself up for results after the first serving. Bacopa is one of those supplements that needs to kick in.Its properties are based on supporting regenerative processes for the brain, so the effects need to accumulate .The effects may accrue for the first month, and a period of 3-6 months is usually considered the optimal time for supplementation.

Side effects and contraindications

The most common side effects are gastrointestinal complaintslike nausea, cramps or a change in the frequency of bowel movements. Some people also suffer from increased drowsiness, although then taking the supplement in the evening usually solves the problem.

For some people, reports from rodent studies of a potential deterioration of male fertility may be worrisome. Admittedly, the problem ceased after discontinuing supplementation and was not associated with a decrease in testosterone, only a deterioration of semen parameters, and has not been found in humans, but out of an abundance of caution, men trying to have offspring often abstain from Bacopa monnieri supplementation.

The information about possible interaction with anti-anxiety, antidrague and sleep medications is also significant. Taking Bacopa concurrently may enhance the effects of these drugs.

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