Brahmi – Bacopa Monnieri – Ayurveda remedy for mental health

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a specific form of dementia that represent about 70% of total cases. It usually affects people aged 65 years old or more, and its symptoms range from inability to focus, to loss of short-term memory, difficulties in communication and language, and a general decline in mental faculties¹.

Apart from a few medications that may help improve some of the cognitive symptoms of AD, medical science still didn’t find any effective pharmacological therapy able to halt or slow this condition’s progression. Some new studies, however, are investigating the purported effectiveness of some herbal remedies that could improve the cognitive deficit associated with this disease, such as the Ayurvedic herb known as Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri)².

A majority of brain tonic agents stimulate and sometimes deplete brain neurons. It has been shown that Bacopa can nourish the nervous system and boost brain function, learning, memory, and neuroprotection. Bacopa was used in combination with Centella in early times to help boost memory. Contemporary science can help clarify why these two herbs might be better together than apart. The most well-studied components of Bacopa that work especially on the brain, are called bacosides. This is a chemical compound that belongs to the triterpenoid saponin group. Bacosides are shown to be neurotransmitter-stimulating, neuroprotective, brain antioxidants that boost cerebral blood circulation. While Bacopa was suggested in support of numerous neurological and brain health mechanisms, it appears to stand out as support for memory, focus, clarity, mood, learning, and healthy cognitive function.

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The brain carries high levels of iron, which may be oxidized. This makes the brain quite susceptible to harm from oxidation and toxicity, much like an iron car is more prone to rust or degenerate. Lots of the body’s natural antioxidants can’t cross the blood-brain barrier and consequently can’t help stop oxidation-related damage. Bacosides are shown to cross the blood-brain barrier, encouraging and protecting the brain from toxins and oxidizing agents. Bacopa has also been proven to help prevent the chemical process responsible for the oxidation of good fats (lipid oxidation) in the brain. This is vital since the brain volume is made from cholesterol, which is extremely prone and vulnerable to oxidation damage.

A moderate daily administration of Brahmi showed a positive effect on neuronal tropism, due to the activity of triterpenoid saponins (bacosides) that act as nootropic elements. The mechanisms of action of these substances seem to span from a direct anti-oxidant and neuroprotective effect of brain cells to a generalized improvement in cerebral blood flow and perfusion. Brahmi extracts also appear to be able to reduce the formation of the β-amyloid plaques deemed responsible for Alzheimer’s degeneration of cortical neurons. Bacopa monnieri also seems to be able to enhance cognitive function even in healthy subjects and can be thus used as a preventive treatment in high-risk subjects³.

The convolution related to memory is being solved with progress in neuroscience. According to the concurrent assumptions, synaptic plasticity creates among the foundation of memory formation, strengthening, and lengthening. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is usually characterized by memory impairment, connections among the cells in the brain are attenuated or lost, resulting in the degeneration of neural networks. Various attempts have been made to discover new treatments for memory dysfunction with increasing investments and attention being put on herbal drugs. Many herbal extracts and plants have documented favorable results when tested for anti-amnesic effects. Brahmi (Bacopa monniera) is one such common herbal medication, which can be employed for quite a long time in the Chinese and Indian medical system so as to treat several ailments. Previous research shows that Brahmi exerts many pharmacological effects such as memory boosting capacity in treating Alzheimer’s disease and Schizophrenia, demonstrating antiparkinsonian, antistroke, and anticonvulsant potentials. The effectiveness of Brahmi in treating a variety of ailments has evoked sufficient research recently, and now it’s a time to establish multiple clinical trials.

Dr. Claudio
Butticè, PharmD.