Bacopa Monnieri Enhances Cognition in High-Performers
March 10, 2023
Bacopa Monnieri is a nootropic used in traditional medicine for longevity and cognitive enhancement.
It has been shown to improve memory, increase cerebral blood flow, has neuroprotective properties, and supports new knowledge retention by slowing the rate of forgetting newly acquired knowledge.
In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial sixty medical students received either 150 mg of standardized extract of Bacopa or matching placebo twice daily for six weeks.
A large number of neuropsychological tests were used to assess immediate recall, recognition, working memory, attention, associative abilities, reasoning, transformation, and language comprehension.
At the conclusion of the study efficiency of attention, freedom from distractibility, and working memory improved significantly with use of Bacopa, compared with the placebo.
Immediate recall of logical material and language comprehension also significantly improved. These tests required participants to learn new material and recall it a short time later.
The researchers note that the antioxidant effect, action on calcium channels, and acetylcholine level have been credited for the action of Bacopa.
While further research needs to be conducted to investigate the role of calcium in explaining the nootropic effects of Bacopa, the current study adds to the increasing scientific evidence supporting the cognitive enhancement effects of Bacopa Monnieri in humans.
References
PMID: 20590480, PMID: 27803728, PMID: 23772955, PMID: 11498727, PMID: 12093601, PMID: 18683852, PMID: 12404571, PMID: 23281132.
