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Bacopa monnieri, a natural smart drug for intelligent people
Demanding intellectual activity, such as drafting complex reports, writing essays or analyzing complex information, is facilitated by supplementation with Bacopa monnieri. This is evident from the first study into the effect of Bacopa monnieri on intelligent people.
Bacopa monnieri
Bacopa monnieri is an Asian swamp plant. It contains bacosides and bacopasides. In in vitro studies and animal studies, these substances stimulate the manufacture and repair of the synapses A synapse is the part of a neuron where one part of the neuron makes contact with the other. By stimulating the development and regeneration of synapses,
Bacopa monnieri improves the uptake and use of new information.
According to review studies, Bacopa monnieri supplementation improves cognitive processes in humans - although these studies have consistently concluded that not all human research is methodically 100% correct. [J Ethnopharmacol. 2014;151(1):528-35.] [Complement Ther Med. 2016 Dec;29:56-62.] [J Altern Complement Med. 2012 Jul;18(7):647-52.]
Study
In 2016, Indian researchers published a human study in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, in which they experimented with two groups of medicine students. Each group consisted of thirty students.
For 6 weeks, the researchers gave one group 2 capsules each day. Each capsule contained w150 milligrams of Bacopa monnieri extract. Every day the students got 300 milligrams of extract. The students in the other group received a placebo.
The researchers used Bacognize, a Bacopa monnieri extract made by Pharmanza Herbal [composition of Bacognize below]. Pharmanza Herbal did not sponsor the study.
Before and after the supplementation period, the researchers tested the cognitive abilities of the students.
Results
The researchers measured, among other things, the memory of the students by reading them numbers. The students then had to recall the numbers, one time from the first-mentioned number to the last one [Digit span forwards], another time from the last-mentioned number to the first one [Digit span backwards]. Bacopa monnieri significantly improved the scores on the Digit span backwards test.
In another test, the researchers read the students a story. Then the students had to name as many elements from that story as possible [Logical memory test]. Bacopa monnieri significantly improved the scores, see bottom left.
In yet another test, the researchers read series of meaningless syllables, and then asked the subjects to reproduce as many syllables as possible [Nonsensical memory test]. Supplementation with Bacopa monnieri did not significantly improve the outcomes of this test [at the top right].
Conclusion
"Our study further adds to the increasing scientific evidence supporting cognitive enhancement effects of Bacopa monnieri in humans", resumeren de onderzoekers. "However, our study is unique in the aspect that it was done in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial on a group of individuals with already high cognitive abilities."
"Also Bacopa monnieri extract in the dose of 300 mg daily produced significant effect on some components of memory with only 6 weeks of administration. This has been reported previously only with 12 weeks' therapy in other studies on normal individuals."
"Since our study was only limited to administrating Bacopa monnieri for only 6 weeks, we recommend future long-term studies to study long-term effects of Bacopa monnieri."
Source:
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016;2016:4103423.
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