Need A Brain Boost? 4 Reasons Why Bacopa May Be the Best Natural Nootropic

September 21, 2020 Melanie Pylant

Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels

Are simple mental tasks getting the best of you?

You’re about to introduce your co-worker at a party and suddenly forget his name. You find yourself re-reading a sentence 10 times to get the gist of what the author’s trying to say. You just wish you could clear out that cloudy, fuzzy feeling that seems to permeate your mind on a daily basis.

If this sounds like you, you may benefit from an herb called Bacopa Monnieri.

In this article, we’ll dive into how aging affects the brain and how this powerful little herb can pack a heavy punch in combating the neurological effects of aging.

Effects of Aging on the Brain

One of the most frustrating aspects of aging is the toll it can take on our brains. Forgetting names, difficulty with word recall, and struggling to focus are all considered normal signs of aging.

But what if it’s not normal? What if there was something you could do to reverse these signs, or prevent them from occurring altogether?

As a person ages, changes occur in all parts of the body, and the brain is no exception. That foggy feeling we get can often be chalked up to one or more of these biological processes happening in the brain:

Increased inflammation, which occurs as a response to injury or disease
Decreased blood flow in the brain
Decreased communication between brain cells
Certain regions of the brain shrink – particularly those responsible for complex mental processes (1)

Neuroplasticity

Luckily, you don’t need to despair. There’s an overwhelming amount of research showing that the brain remains plastic as we age. Brain plasticity, or neuroplasticity, is the brain’s ability to change its activity in response to internal or external stimuli by reorganizing its structure, functions, or connections.(2)

Ok so what exactly does that mean? It means the brain is a remarkable organ, and you can change how it functions. That’s amazing news!

Of course, anyone looking to boost their brain power should start with the basics – getting quality sleep, eating a nutrient-rich diet, exercising, and minimizing stress.

But if you’ve already got those bases covered and still struggle with brain fog and focus — it may be time to add something else to bring back your mental edge.

Nootropics

Nootropics – substances that can improve cognitive function – have gotten a lot of press lately, with good reason. Anyone – from the student looking to ace a test to the older person worried about a family history of dementia – can benefit from a better functioning brain.

Nootropics fall into one of three categories:

Dietary supplements
Synthetic compounds
Prescription drugs

Synthetic compounds and prescription drugs may sound like a quick fix, but often contain stimulants, a long list of side effects, can cause dependence, and generally are not recommended for healthy people.

Fortunately, certain natural supplements and herbs have shown great promise as nootropics.(3)

What is Bacopa?

Perhaps the most promising natural substance with cognitive-enhancing capabilities is an herb called Bacopa monnieri. Bacopa (also known as brahmi or water hyssop) has been used medicinally for more than 1,400 years.(4)

Bacopa is widely used by Ayurvedic practitioners who use it to treat various ailments, including memory loss, inflammation, epilepsy, fever, and asthma.(5) But now western medical practitioners are realizing its powerful benefits, too.

Uses & Benefits of Bacopa

Research has shown that Bacopa has the following benefits in the body:

Inhibits seizure activity
Alleviates depression
Alleviates pain
Calms anxiety
Protects the liver
Stimulates the immune system
Has anti-cancer properties
Helps the body manage stress
Fights pathogens
Inhibits the formation of stomach ulcers (6)

How Does Bacopa Benefit the Brain?

But how exactly does a little plant exert so many benefits in the brain? The secret lies in its chemical constituents – the chemical compounds that make up its structure. The most powerful compound in Bacopa that gives it its neuropharmacological properties is called Bacoside A. The bacosides present in Bacopa also give it its phenomenal ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. (7)

Once in the brain, Bacopa works in the following ways. It is these mechanisms which allow it to provide relief in such a wide variety of cognitive and mood issues:

1. Bacopa Protects the Brain From Oxidative Stress

Numerous studies suggest that Bacopa’s constituents, the bacosides, protect the brain against oxidative damage and age-related cognitive decline.

Oxidative stress is one of the most important factors in age-related illnesses. It occurs when there’s an imbalance between free radical activity and antioxidant activity. When there are more free radicals than the antioxidants can control, free radicals can start damaging your tissue, disrupting metabolic pathways, and even breaking DNA strands.(8)

Think of it like a balance scale — with free radicals on one side and antioxidants on the other. With our standard American diet and stressful, sedentary lifestyles, that balance might be tipping the wrong way for far too many of us.

And the brain is particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress. This is because it’s very metabolically active and is composed of unsaturated lipids, which makes it prone to lipid peroxidation. It’s also more vulnerable because the blood-brain barrier prevents many antioxidants from reaching the brain.(9)

Because Bacopa can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, it can help tip that balance back toward the antioxidants, which is a very good thing.

Two studies showed that bacoside A (remember, that’s the primary chemical constituent in Bacopa) protected the brains of rats exposed to cigarette smoke. The bacoside A-treated rats showed significantly increased brain levels of several key antioxidants, including glutathione, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin A, compared to controls. Bacoside A administration also increased the activities of several enzymes that protect from free radical attack (SOD, catalase, GPx, and GSR).(10)

Another study found that Bacopa actually reversed memory impairment in rat models of Alzheimer’s disease. The Bacopa-treated rats showed decreased lipid peroxidation in their brains, and normalized levels of antioxidant enzymes. All damage was restored to control levels by Bacopa.(11)

There is even evidence that Bacopa can provide brain protection against the oxidative damage caused by metal and herbicide toxicity.(12,13)

2. Bacopa Inhibits Inflammation in the Brain

Recent evidence has shown that inflammation plays a key role in cognitive decline. Inflammation is part of the body’s natural healing response and can be beneficial. But chronic inflammation eventually results in tissue damage. That’s particularly worrisome when we’re talking about the brain.(14)

The role of inflammation on brain aging is further bolstered by findings that Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia are associated with a chronic and exaggerated inflammatory response.(15) But what if you don’t have dementia? Do you need to be concerned about inflammation in your brain?

As one study pointed out, the line between “normal” and “abnormal” age-related cognitive decline may not be so clear. After studying the brains of 483 people at autopsy, researchers found that in the group of participants with no cognitive impairment, over 50% had neurological evidence of either 1) Alzheimer’s disease, 2) cerebrovascular problems, or 3) Lewy Bodies. These results suggest that many cognitively “healthy” adults may actually have underlying neurological disease.(16)

In addition, levels of inflammation generally increase with age. And higher levels of inflammation are known to negatively affect cognitive processes, including memory, speed of processing, and global cognitive function.(17)

So it makes sense that targeting chronic inflammation in the brain is one way to keep your brain young, before real cognitive decline becomes apparent.

Bacopa has many scientific studies confirming its anti-inflammatory properties. One study showed that Bacopa inhibited the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines from brain cells. The study showed that it also inhibited enzymes associated with inflammation in the brain. The results suggest that Bacopa can limit inflammation in various regions of the brain and in the central nervous system.(18)

In another study, Bacopa demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity comparable to indomethacin, which is a prescription NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) much stronger than Advil.(19) Indomethacin can have serious potential side effects, such as increased risk of heart attack and stroke, stomach ulcers, and GI bleeding. So the fact that Bacopa appears to match its anti-inflammatory effects is a pretty big deal!

3. Bacopa Reduces Beta-Amyloid Plaque

You may have heard of beta amyloid plaque as one of the distinct hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. But what are they? They’re collections of abnormal levels of proteins that clump together between neurons.(20)

Think of it like a roadblock in the middle of a busy highway. These clumps disrupt cell function and communication between neurons – just like a roadblock will disrupt normal traffic flow. This is one of many factors in the progressive cognitive decline seen in Alzheimer’s disease.

Several studies have demonstrated the ability of Bacopa extract to protect neurons from cell death caused by beta-amyloid plaque.

One study found that neurons treated with beta-amyloid protein showed a 2-fold rise in acetylcholine esterase (AChE), which is an indicator of neuronal damage. However, the neurons treated with beta-amyloid protein and Bacopa extract had near normal concentrations of AChE.(21)

Another study examined the effect of Bacopa extract on beta-amyloid formation in vitro (in a test tube). The results showed that incubating with Bacopa extract “almost completely” inhibited beta-amyloid formation.(22)

In another study, researchers found that Bacopa (given orally at a dose of either 40 or 160 mg/kg per day for 2 or 8 months) reduced beta-amyloid plaques in an Alzheimer mouse model by up to 60%. (23)

4. Bacopa Increases Cerebral Blood Flow

So we know that one of the damaging effects of aging is decreased blood flow in the brain. But why is this so important?

Blood flows throughout your body, carrying oxygen and vital nutrients to nourish all of your cells. If adequate blood supply does not reach the small capillaries found throughout the brain, then the oxygen and nutrients carried in the blood do not reach those parts either. And when brain tissue does not get adequate oxygen and nutrients, it becomes damaged and neurons die.

Reduced blood flow in the brain also leads to the buildup of toxic cellular waste. Diminished cerebral blood flow is implicated in many neurological disorders, including dementia and Alzheimer’s.(24) So it’s apparent that good blood flow in the brain is pretty important for brain health.

In one study, researchers studied the effects of Bacopa on blood vessels. They found that Bacopa has vasodilator properties, decreasing blood pressure without affecting heart rate.(25)

In another study, researchers compared the cerebral blood flow (CBF)-enhancing ability of Bacopa extract, Ginkgo biloba, and donepezil — which is a prescription Alzheimer’s drug. After 8 weeks, they found that Bacopa enhanced cognitive function in rats and increased CBF by 25%. Ginkgo biloba also increased CBF by 29%. However, donepezil had no significant effect on CBF.(26)

This definitely warrants further clinical studies, since donepezil can cause serious side effects such as weight loss, weakness, and tremors.(27)

Is Bacopa Just For Older Adults?

Simply put, no. Studies have shown improvements in cognition with Bacopa in children, young adults, and middle-aged adults. Some of the effects seen in these groups were decreased ADHD symptoms in children, and improved working memory, reaction time, retention of new information, and word recall in adults.(28-31)

One unique study of Bacopa in young adults who already had high cognitive abilities showed that a dose of 300 mg daily produced significant effects on memory after only 6 weeks.(32)

Although clinical research on Bacopa is still in its infancy, at least six randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human trials have been conducted. A review of the research found some evidence that “Bacopa could potentially be clinically prescribed as a memory enhancer” even in non-demented subjects.(33)

And that’s just the cognitive improvements. Don’t forget that Bacopa has pain relieving, anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, as well as many other beneficial properties.

What Are the Side Effects of Bacopa?

Bacopa has not shown any serious clinical, neurological, or vital organ damage in experimental studies. The most common side effect of Bacopa is mild GI upset, but more long-term studies in humans are needed.(34)

One study showed that Bacopa suppressed fertility in male mice. This effect, however, was completely reversible, with fertility normalizing 56 days after the Bacopa was discontinued.(35)

How Much Bacopa Should I Take?

Bacopa is most commonly taken as a capsule. The typical dosage of Bacopa extract in human studies ranges from 300 to 450 mg per day.(36) It’s generally considered safe, but everyone’s body chemistry and medical history is different, so it’s important to talk to your doctor before incorporating Bacopa into your supplement regimen.

How Long Does It Take Bacopa To Work?

You likely won’t feel the effects of Bacopa immediately, but studies have shown that taking Bacopa regularly for 8 to 12 weeks can produce cognitive improvements.(37)

Start Protecting Your Brain

More research is needed to confirm the seemingly amazing benefits of Bacopa. But it’s clear Bacopa shows great promise in protecting your brain from the cognitive signs of aging.

Talk to your doctor today and see if Bacopa may help bring back your mental groove.

ALWAYS consult your physician before starting any supplements or drugs.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information in this article is not intended to replace any recommendations or relationship with your physician. Please review references cited at the end of the article for scientific support of any claims made.

References:

1. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/how-aging-brain-affects-thinking

2.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6400842/#:~:text=Neural%20plasticity%2C%20also%20known%20as,structure%2C%20functions%2C%20or%20connections

3.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5021479/#:~:text=Abstract,creativity%2C%20motivation%2C%20and%20attention

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746283/

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6669844/

6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746283/

7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6669844/

8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746283/#B53

9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746283/#B55

10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746283/#B57

11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746283/#B61