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Brahmi / Bacopa

Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) is classed in Ayurveda as a Medhya Rasayana, a rejuvenative specific to the brain, and is used for memory. Randomised trials of standardised extracts taken for about 12 weeks found improvements on some memory and attention-speed tests in healthy adults and older adults, but results vary across cognitive domains and trials are small, so no claim here rises above low certainty. Gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea, cramps and more frequent stools were reported in trials.

  • Mind
  • Vegan

Evidence retrieved up to

What the research shows

In healthy adults, standardised Bacopa monnieri extracts taken for about 12 weeks improved performance on some memory tests, particularly free recall, and on some tests of attention speed, with little consistent evidence for other cognitive domains.

Low certaintyFurther research is likely to change this.
Take care: see the safety noteBenefit

Who this is about

healthy adults without dementia or significant cognitive impairment

Practical note

Graded low: a 2012 systematic review (6 trials) found improvement on 9 of 17 free-recall tests and little in other domains; a 2014 meta-analysis (9 trials, 518 participants, low risk of bias) found faster attention measures; a 2026 network meta-analysis (29 trials, 2107 participants) found memory benefits but no significant differences in attention or processing speed. Downgraded for inconsistency across domains and reviews and for imprecision from small trials using different extracts. Trials in the 2012 review used 300-450 mg of extract a day; the network meta-analysis grouped 600 mg a day or more as high-dose.

Safety note

Gastrointestinal side effects were reported in trials; a 2025 review notes possible interactions with certain medications and contraindications such as hyperthyroidism, and limited safety data in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Sources

In healthy older adults, 12-week randomised trials of Bacopa monnieri extract found improvements in verbal learning and delayed recall compared with placebo, but the wider body of herbal trials in older adults is at high risk of bias.

Low certaintyFurther research is likely to change this.
Take care: see the safety noteBenefit

Who this is about

healthy older adults

Practical note

Graded low: two small placebo-controlled trials (54 and 98 participants, both 300 mg a day of standardised extract for 12 weeks) support the effect; a 2023 systematic review of herbal and nutritional medicines in older adults rated the overall evidence as low quality because of high risk of bias. Downgraded for imprecision and risk of bias.

Safety note

Gastrointestinal side effects, including nausea, abdominal cramps and more frequent stools, were reported in a trial in older adults.

Sources

In randomised trials in older adults, Bacopa monnieri extract was linked to gastrointestinal side effects, mainly nausea, abdominal cramps, stomach upset and more frequent stools.

Low certaintyFurther research is likely to change this.
Take care: see the safety noteRisk

Who this is about

older adults taking Bacopa monnieri extract in trials

Practical note

Graded low: adverse events come from small trials of 300 mg a day, and the two trials differ (one found more gastrointestinal side effects than placebo; the other reported few adverse events, similar in number to placebo, mostly stomach upset).

Safety note

A 2025 review describes Bacopa as generally non-toxic with no serious side effects reported, but notes interactions with certain medications, contraindications such as hyperthyroidism, and a need for more safety research in pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Sources

In a small number of studies in children and adolescents, Bacopa monnieri was associated with improvements in language and some memory measures, but the findings have not been replicated with rigorous designs.

Very low certaintyThis is uncertain; treat it as a lead, not a finding.
Take care: see the safety noteUnclear

Who this is about

children and adolescents

Practical note

Graded very low: a 2016 systematic review of 5 studies with no restriction on design reported small to medium effect sizes (mean d = 0.42) and called for replicated designs and stringent statistical analysis.

Safety note

The review reported mild side effects in 2.3 percent of participants; safety data in children come from few small studies.

Sources

What the tradition holds

Ayurveda holds that Brahmi is a Medhya Rasayana, a rejuvenative specific to the brain, and uses it for its memory-enhancing properties.

Take care: see the safety noteBenefit

Who this is about

people using Ayurvedic herbs

The tradition's frame

Ayurveda

Ayurvedic texts describe Rasayana as rejuvenative measures that give biological sustenance to the bodily tissues; the Rasayanas specific to brain tissue are called Medhya Rasayana and are held to retard brain aging and to have antistress, adaptogenic and memory-enhancing effects.

Practical note

The trial evidence on memory is graded separately in this topic and is low certainty.

Vegan note

Brahmi itself is a plant; the vegan status of a product depends on its other ingredients and capsule.

Safety note

Trials reported gastrointestinal side effects; see the side-effects claim in this topic.

Sources