Bacopa Monnieri

Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri), is an herb that has been used in India, in Ayurvedic and Zorastrian medicine, for over two thousand years. A growing number of studies on Bacopa are part of the upswing of interest in studying botanical medicine.  The primary historical use for the herb has been to improve memory and cognition. Studies confirm Bacopa’s positive impact on memory compared to subjects taking placebo, especially in the capacity of creating new memories. It may be that the mechanisms of action are derived from several classes of molecules, saponins, sterols, and alkaloids.

While the cognitive benefits are impressive, we include Bacopa into Lithia Basic™ for additional benefits, as study results currently suggest. Research studies are referenced here.

Most clinical trials use 300mg doses for 12 weeks and most show promising results. For example, in an animal model that creates scopolamine induced amnesic mice, the placebo group lost spatial memory, as compared to the mice taking Bacopa. That said, we personally believe that the high doses suggested elsewhere is not prudent for long term use, as side effects may develop. Lithia Basic © contains a hermetic low dose 10mg that avoids potential side effects.

Bacopa also helps people respond better to the stresses of life. People taking Bacopa express less symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, or hypertension, the benefit may be due to bacosaponins, bacosides, and bacopasides. We postulate that the diminished emotional symptoms may be due in part to improved cognitive capacity, which in turn lowers depression and/or anxiety about losing one’s memory.

In Ayurvedic medical tradition, Bacopa has been used to reduce the frequency of epileptic episodes, which may be by decreasing GABA receptor activity.        

Studies have attempted to understand the differing mechanisms of action of Bacopa. In one study, Bacopa demonstated protective properties against ischemic brain injury, and in another protective impact against Alzheimer’s Disease. It appears in both instances that molecules in Bacopa, such as bacosides, protect the brain from chronic neuroinflammation in mice. In another study for Parkinson’s in an animal model, Bacopa reduced alpha synuclein aggregation, preventing dopaminergic neurodegeneration. So the antiaging nootropic results in the studies may be due to lessening oxidative stress in the brain.

Most studies measuring symptoms of cognitive output and memory in children diagnosed with ADHD showed similar results to the geriatric population:  improvement in memory and testing scores versus placebo.

Interestingly, several studies have begun to report results on the use of Bacopa as a potential treatment of cancers. It appears as though in animal trials, Bacopa induces apoptosis, by up-regulating pro apoptotic Bax, and down regulating anti apoptotic Bcl-2. Other mechanisms have been reported, primarily in glioblastoma, in as much as glioblastoma cells are vulnerable to high calcium induced macropinocytotic-hydrostatic stress, which bacoside A induced, making the glioblastoma cell swell, causing rupture and cell death.

Other study results found that bacopaside II, inhibits migration, tube-formation and angiogenesis of mouse and human endothelial cells and induces apoptosis, potentially by blocking of aquaporin 1 ((AQP1), as bacopaside II is an AQP1 inhibitor. AQP1 in endothelial cells is necessary for their migration and angiogenesis in cancer. In the study, bacopaside II reduced viability, increased apoptosis, and reduced migration and tubulogenesis.

As well, it may in the future be used for the treatment of nausea and vomiting mitigating those symptoms which accompany many chemotherapeutic protocols.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are not meant to diagnose‚ treat or cure any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor, or other qualified health care provider, before using any nutritional supplement discussed here, or before using these or any other product during pregnancy, lactation or if you have a serious medical condition.