Bacopa for Memory

A 2008 study found that 300mg of Bacopa daily significantly improved memory compared to placebo over 12 weeks in people 65 years old or older. Similar trials have shown memory improvements in younger people as well. Bacopa extracts have been found to reduce β-amyloid levels (present in Alzheimer's disease) in the brain of mice. Bacopa may cause gastrointestinal or other side effects.

Calabrese C, Gregory WL, Leo M, Kraemer D, Bone K, Oken B. Effects of a standardized Bacopa monnieri extract on cognitive performance, anxiety, and depression in the elderly: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2008 Jul;14(6):707-13. doi: 10.1089/acm.2008.0018. PMID: 18611150; PMCID: PMC3153866.

Stough C, Lloyd J, Clarke J, Downey LA, Hutchison CW, Rodgers T, Nathan PJ. The chronic effects of an extract of Bacopa monniera (Brahmi) on cognitive function in healthy human subjects. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2001 Aug;156(4):481-4. doi: 10.1007/s002130100815. Erratum in: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2015 Jul;232(13):2427. Dosage error in article text. PMID: 11498727.

Raghav S, Singh H, Dalal PK, Srivastava JS, Asthana OP. Randomized controlled trial of standardized Bacopa monniera extract in age-associated memory impairment. Indian J Psychiatry. 2006 Oct;48(4):238-42. doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.31555. PMID: 20703343; PMCID: PMC2915594.

Roodenrys S, Booth D, Bulzomi S, Phipps A, Micallef C, Smoker J. Chronic effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) on human memory. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2002 Aug;27(2):279-81. doi: 10.1016/S0893-133X(01)00419-5. PMID: 12093601.