Brahmi for the better? New findings challenging cognition and anti-anxiety effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monniera) in healthy adults

Abstract

The current study attempted to determine the chronic effects of single daily dose of 450 mg of Brahmi extract on cognitive performance and anxiety in healthy adults. The results of the current study are not in agreement with findings of some of the earlier studies which have found improvement both on cognitive parameters and a reduction of anxiety scores.

Herbal medicine for depression and anxiety:Asystematic review with assessment of potential psycho‐oncologic relevance

“…Results showed positive effects in improving cognitive function but not anxiety (Benson et al, ; Roodenrys et al, ). Studies using other extracts showed a general reduction in anxiety scores (Calabrese et al, ; Kumar, Srivastav, Wahi, Singh, & Singh, ; Sathyanarayanan et al, ; Stough et al, ). However, all studies were conducted only in healthy subjects with placebo controls.…”

The effectiveness of Bacopa monnieri (Linn.) Wettst. as a nootropic, neuroprotective, or antidepressant supplement: analysis of the available clinical data

“…Furthermore, many of the dropouts occurred before the initial treatments, and those that were after the initial baseline test nine were due to side effects and four were for reasons unrelated to the study. None of the 11 studies carried out the exact same combination of tests, however, all but one 80 found at least one of their tests to have a statistically significant improvement in at least one of the neuropsychological test used, and thus concluded that their study had shown significant evidence that B. monnieri improved the cognitive ability of the test subjects, and only one found all their tests had significant improvements compared to control 78 . The neuropsychological tests that were found to have a statistically significant improvement in the B. monnieri treated patients compared to the placebo are shown in Table 1.…”

“…However, the antidepressant effect was small despite being statistically significant. Sathyanarayanan et al used the same anxiety measure as Calabrese et al and found no significant difference between B. monnieri and placebo-treated groups 74,80 . Both Morgan et al (2010) and Roodenrys et al (2002) found no significant change in depression scores using the Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAMD) and depression anxiety stress scales-depression (DASS-D) analyses, respectively 4,77 .…”

“…Multiple studies in animal models have identified B. monnieri as a potential antidepressant, having similar effects to fluoxetine in stress models of depression 61,[90][91][92] . Our literature search uncovered four randomized placebo-controlled double-blind studies, using B. monnieri as a single herb intervention 4,74,77,80 , and two studies 86,87 using a multi-herb intervention, which included depression or anxiety metrics in their analyses. However, it is essential to note that these studies were carried out on patients who did not necessarily suffer from clinically diagnosed depression.…”

Investigating the Effects of a Multinutrient Supplement on Cognition, Mood and Biochemical Markers in Middle-Aged Adults with ‘Optimal’ and ‘Sub-Optimal’ Diets: A Randomized Double Blind Placebo Controlled Trial

“…These plant-derived compounds have been used for health and well-being for hundreds if not thousands of years in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine [ 26 ]. Bacopa monnieri and Ginkgo biloba have been investigated in separate clinical trials demonstrating enhancing effects for cognition [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. Recent systematic reviews found evidence that Ginkgo biloba is associated with improved cognitive function, including perceptual and motor function, while supplementation with Bacopa monnieri has been found to improve language learning and memory [ 32 , 33 ].…”