By Hadley Gavin
Bacopa Monnieri, also known as water hyssop, moneywort, or Brahmi, is a traditional medicinal herb that has been used for centuries in Ayurveda. It has been thought as a wonder herb that has many medicinal benefits for the human body. The herb contains terpenoids, phytosterol, and anthraquinones, and various other biologically active compounds, like flavonoids, alkaloids, bacopa saponins, and saponins. These biologically active compounds provide bacopa its therapeutic and pharmacological benefits.
Most of the bacopa’s medicinal benefits are concentrated on brain and neurons, which is why it is classified under a group of compounds commonly known as nootropics. The herb is very effective in repairing damaged neurons, improving neuron communication, improving brain functions, and even promoting the protection of brain cells from harmful free radicals that cause various neurological diseases, like Alzheimer’s. In addition to all these, Bacopa Monnieri benefits also include reduction of stress, acting as a potent adaptogen, and various other things.
Bacopa Monnieri and its benefits for mental health
As mentioned earlier, bacopa is a nootropic that helps to promote brain functions and mental health in various ways. Studies suggest that it helps in increasing the effects of some key neurotransmitters, like acetylcholine, serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline, which helps you achieve a sense of calmness and enhances your mood. Any imbalance in these neurotransmitters can lead to various mental illnesses, like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, insomnia, and various others.
Bacopa can help in regulating these neurotransmitters to create the right balance among them, which greatly helps your mental health. Studies have shown that Bacopa is an effective remedy that keeps stress and anxiety at bay while increasing the cognitive abilities of the brain. Apart from all these benefits, the best thing about Bacopa is that it doesn’t cause any kind of sedation, like other drugs with the same benefits do.
Effects of Bacopa Monneiri on memory
Studies on bacopa have proven that it acts as a memory enhancer for the people consuming it. Although most of the research on bacopa and its effects on the memory are conducted on older adults, there is enough evidence that shows that it is even beneficial for children suffering from brain-related conditions. Studies have shown that bacopa appears to have a significant impact on the memory. It improves memory, reduces cognitive decline, improves cognitive abilities, and even prevents damage to the neurons present in the brain.
A recent measured study found that when a syrup containing dried bacopa herb extracts was given to children, it benefitted several measures of their mental performance. A double-blind trial found that a daily dosage of 300 mg of bacopa improved memory acquisition and retention in healthy elderly people. Similar results were found in another double-blind study of elderly participants who did not have any evidence of dementia.
It provides antioxidant power to the brain
In addition to the benefits to the memory and mental health bacopa also appears to provide several antioxidant and neuroprotective benefits to the human brain. There are evidences that the herb helps the mental functioning in various ways, including enhanced memory and cognition. Other studies report that bacopa can be neuroprotective while preventing oxidative stress (an antioxidant benefit), cell death and lipid peroxidation. In addition, neuroprotective effects against neurotoxins such as aluminum, cigarette smoke, and morphine have also been observed.
There you go, these are some of the major benefits of Bacopa Monneiri. It is a wonder drug that has been used by people to improve their overall brain performance. So, what are you waiting for? Try bacopa and let us know how you feel about it.
