Bacopa plant Bacopa monniera reseach, bacopa monnieri

Bacopa is an Ayurvedic herb used in India for memory enhancement, epilepsy, insomnia, and as a mild sedative. Bacopa commonly grows in marshy areas throughout India. Studies show that bacopa has antioxidant properties, protects mental function in those with epilepsy who take the drug phenytion, while a study on rats showed bacopa administration improves learning skills.  Recent human studies show bacopa has the ability to improve memory and mood.

Bacopa Extract - Planetary Formulas
Bacopa monniera has been revered for centuries in the Ayurvedic herbal tradition of India to enhance clear thinking and support memory function. Studies have shown that Bacopa monniera supports learning and memory in humans. In animal models, Bacopa monniera provides antioxidant protection for critical memory centers and helps to reduce the effects of stress on the brain. Traditional application suggests that Bacopa has a direct effect on improving brain functions, increasing concentration, and in promoting memory functions. Bacosides play a protective role in the synaptic functions of the nerves in the hippocampus, the seat of memory. Nerve impulses are transmitted across the synapses and their degeneration is believed to contribute to impaired memory and cognition.
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Bacopa Monniera Supplement Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calcium - 100 mg - 10%DV
Bacopa Whole Plant Extract - 450 mg*
   (20% bacosides A+B)

* Bacopa daily value not established.

What's in Bacopa monniera?
Two saponins, designated as bacopaside I and II, are found in Bacopa monniera. Additional phytochemicals betulinic acid, wogonin and oroxindin have been isolated from the aerial parts of Bacopa monnieri and showed significant antifungal activity.

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Bacopa: Ayurvedic Memory Herb
Researchers at the Department of Psychology, University of Wollongong, in Woolongong, Australia, recently studied the effects of Bacopa on human memory. Seventy-six adults aged between 40 and 65 years took part in a double-blind randomized, placebo control study in which various memory functions were tested and levels of anxiety measured. There were three testing sessions: one prior to the trial, one after three months on the trial, and one six weeks after the completion of the trial. The results showed a significant effect of bacopa on a test for the retention of new information. Follow-up tests showed that the rate of learning was unaffected, suggesting that bacopa decreases the rate of forgetting of newly acquired information.

Additional benefits of Bacopa
Bacopa has antioxidant properties. One rodent study indicates bacopa to have some potential in helping protect the stomach from ulcers.

Bacopa Dosage
The usual dosage of bacopa is 100 mg of the extract once or twice daily.

Bacopa Monniera 100 mg per capsule, 20% bacosides Made by Life Enhancement

Bacopa Side Effects
Long term side effects are currently not fully understood.

Bacopa study
Chronic effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monniera) on human memory.
Roodenrys S. niversity of Wollongong, Woolongong, Australia.
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2002 Aug;27(2):279-81.
A study is reported on the effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monniera) on human memory. Seventy-six adults aged between 40 and 65 years took part in a double-blind randomized, placebo control study in which various memory functions were tested and levels of anxiety measured. There were three testing sessions: one prior to the trial, one after three months on the trial, and one six weeks after the completion of the trial. The results show a significant effect of the Bacopa monniera on a test for the retention of new information. Follow-up tests showed that the rate of learning was unaffected, suggesting that Bacopa monniera decreases the rate of forgetting of newly acquired information. Tasks assessing attention, verbal and visual short-term memory and the retrieval of pre-experimental knowledge were unaffected. Questionnaire measures of everyday memory function and anxiety levels were also unaffected.

The chronic effects of an extract of Bacopa monniera (Brahmi) on cognitive function in healthy human subjects.
Stough C. School of Biophysical Science and Electrical Engineering, Victoria, Australia.
Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2001 Aug;156(4):481-4
Extracts of Bacopa monniera have been reported to exert cognitive enhancing effects in animals. However, the effects on human cognition are inconclusive. The current study examined the chronic effects of an extract of bacopa on cognitive function in healthy human subjects. The study was a double-blind placebo-controlled independent-group design in which subjects were randomly allocated to one of two treatment conditions, bacopa (300 mg) or placebo. Neuropsychological testing was conducted pre-(baseline) and at 5 and 12 weeks post drug administration. Bacopa significantly improved speed of visual information processing measured by the IT task, learning rate and memory consolidation measured by the AVLT and state anxiety compared to placebo, with maximal effects evident after 12 weeks. These findings suggest that Bacopa monniera may improve higher order cognitive processes that are critically dependent on the input of information from our environment such as learning and memory.

Effect of Bacopa monniera and Azadirachta indica on gastric ulceration and healing in experimental NIDDM rats.
Dorababu M. Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, India.
Indian J Exp Biol. 2004 Apr;42(4):389-97.
Gastric ulcers were induced in normal/NIDDM rats by various physical (2 hr cold restraint stress and 4 hr pylorus ligation) and chemical agents (ethanol, 1 ml/200 g, oral, 1 hr before; aspirin, 200 mg/kg, oral, 4 hr) and duodenal ulcers were induced by cysteamine (40 mg/200 g). Ulcer healing activity was studied in gastric ulcers induced by acetic acid (50%) and HCI (0.6 M). The result indicated that in both, normal and NIDDM rats, Bacopa monniera extract ( 20-100 mg/kg) did not show any significant effect on blood glucose level, while A. indica (AIE, 250-1000 mg/kg) significantly decreased it. However, both Bacopa monniera extract  (50 mg/kg) and AIE (500 mg/kg) showed significant anti-ulcer and ulcer-healing activities in normal and NIDDM rats. Further, the present results also indicated that the ulcer protective effects of Bacopa monniera extract was more pronounced in non-diabetic, while that of AIE was more in NIDDM rats. The anti-ulcer and ulcer-healing activities of Bacopa monniera extract and AIE may be due to their effects on various mucosal offensive and defensive factors, and correction of blood sugar level by AIE may help to have more ulcer protective effect in NIDDM rats.

Free radical scavenging capacity and protective effect of Bacopa monniera on DNA damage.
Russo A. University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy.
Phytother Res. 2003 Sep;17(8):870-5.
Bacopa monniera is an Ayurvedic medicine, clinically used for memory enhancing, epilepsy, insomnia and as a mild sedative. In this work, the free radical scavenging capacity of a methanol extract of Bacopa monniera and the effect on DNA cleavage induced by H2O2 UV-photolysis was investigated. In addition, we examined whether this plant extract is capable of reducing the hydrogen peroxide-induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage in human non-immortalized fibroblasts. It showed a dose-dependent free radical scavenging capacity and a protective effect on DNA cleavage. These results were confirmed by a significant protective effect on H2O2-induced cytoxicity and DNA damage in human non-immortalized fibroblasts. The antioxidant capacity of Bacopa monniera may explain, at least in part, the reported antistress, immunomodulatory, cognition-facilitating, antiinflammatory and antiaging effects produced by it in experimental animals and in clinical situations and may justify further investigation of its other beneficial properties. Moreover, this experimental evidence suggests that because of its antioxidant activity, Bacopa monniera may be useful in the treatment of human pathologies in which free radical production plays a key role.

Bacopa Emails
Q. My daughter has Epilepsy and Landau Kleffner Syndrome which causes delays and wipes out speech. I started her on Bacopa and have noticed that she seems more alert and notices her surroundings more. I asked her 2 questions yesterday: 1. She picked up the frozen juice off the counter and I asked her to "Put it back!" and she turned around and put it back. 2. She was laying near our dog, She got up and started to walk away, I asked her "Where's Saedys nose?" She turned around, came back, and touched saedy's nose. This is not my daughter. My daughter is in her own world and Never understands questions the first time. It is amazing. I never knew that herbs such  as bacopa existed.

Q. I ordered bacopa monniera yesterday. Is it okay for me to take the bacopa maniera even though i have hypertension? I'm taking lisinopril 20 mg for my hypertension and Lipitor 20 mg for my cholesterol. Please advise if it is suitable for me to take that medication. the reason why i'm interested to take bacopa monnier because i'm going to take RN and LVN examination this coming January 2008.
   A. We can only provide information on bacopa monniera and can't advise whether a person should or should not take it and whether it mixes well with other medications. As a general rule, low amounts of herbs can be combined without problems with medications, but higher dosages may interact. Much depends on a person's individual biochemistry, the dosages of the medications, age, overall health status, etc.

Q. What is your impression of alpha GPC supplement compared to bacopa monniera?
   A. See a good alpha GPC review.

Q. Does taking a bacopa pill increase sex drive?
   A. Good question. We are not sure how bacopa pills influence libido or sexual health.

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