Ayurvedic Herb May Benefit Cognition and Overall Mental Health in the Elderly

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. A 12-week supplementation with Bacopa (3 mg daily) significantly improved the reaction time, anxiety, and depression in 24 participating subjects who were diagnosed “free of dementia symptoms”. However, the greatest improvement was seen in cognition, which was exemplified by a significant 17.35% improvement in “word recall”, compared to placebo.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cognitive decline, which can range from increased occurrence of depression and anxiety to dementia in the form Alzheimer’s Disease, “can have profound implications for an individual’s overall health and well-being ¹.” Fortunately, a number of treatments, from music therapy ² to 2,500 milligrams of omega-3 fats per day ³ have shown benefits to the elderly.

Another possible treatment is in the form of an herb called Bacopa monnieri, used for years in Ayurvedic medicine as a sedative ⁴ and for improving memory in the elderly ⁵. A 2008 study ⁶ involved 48 subjects aged 65 to 81 who had no clinical signs of dementia. They received either 300 milligrams per day of Bacopa (24 subjects) or a placebo (24 subjects) for 12 weeks.   Before and after the study, the subjects completed questionnaires to assess their verbal learning in the form of word recall ⁷ and reaction time ⁸ as well as anxiety ⁹ and depression ¹⁰.

After 12 weeks, researchers noted the following:

When suggesting a mechanism for how Bacopa elicits these mental health benefits, the researchers cited research showing that Bacopa affects nerve chemical activity in the brain ¹¹. It also has antioxidant properties ¹² and an ability to affect brain stress hormones ¹³. They went on to conclude that “standardized extracts of B. monnieri have potential for safely enhancing cognitive performance in aging” but admit that its mechanism of action eliciting these mental health benefits “remains to be explored.”

Source: Carlo Calabrese, William L. Gregory, 1 Michael Leo, Dale Kraemer, Kerry Bone, Barry Oken. Effects of a standardized Bacopa monnieri extract on cognitive performance, anxiety, and depression in the elderly: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. August 2008, 14(6): 707-713. doi:10.1089/acm.2008.0018.

© Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 

Posted December 29, 2016.  

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.

References:

1. “Healthy Brain Initiative” posted on the CDC website
2. Chan MF. Effects of music on depression and sleep quality in elderly people: A randomised controlled trial. Complement Ther Med 2010 Jun-Aug;18(3-4):150-9
3. Chiu CC.  Associations between n23 PUFA concentrations and cognitive function after recovery from late-life depression.   Amer Jou Clin Nutr 2012.  Printed online January 4, 2012. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.015784
4. Jain SK. Ethnobotany and research on medicinal plants in India. Ciba Found Symp 1994;185:153–164; discussion 164–168.
5. Jorm AF, Rodgers B, Christensen H. Use of medications to enhance memory in a large community sample of 60-64 year olds. Int Psychogeriatr 2004;16:209–217.
6. Calabrese C. Effects of a standardized Bacopa monnieri extract on cognitive performance, anxiety, and depression in the elderly: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2008 Jul;14(6):707-13. doi: 10.1089/acm.2008.0018.
7. Rey A. The Clinical Examination in Psychology [in French]. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1964
8. Ball K, Owsley CJ. The useful field of view test: A new technique for evaluating age-related declines in visual function. Am Optom Assoc 1993;64:71–79
9. Andresen EM, Malmgren JA, Carter WB, Patrick DL. Screening for depression in well older adults: Evaluation of a short form of the CES-D (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale). Am J Prev Med 1994;10:77–84
10. Spielberger CD. Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1983
11. Dey PK, Datta C. Effect of psychotropic phytochemicals on cerebral amino acid level in mice. Indian J Exp Biol 1966;4:216–229
12. Tripathi YB, Chaurasia S, Tripathi E, et al. Bacopa monniera Linn. as an antioxidant: Mechanism of action. Indian J Exp Biol 1996;34:523–526
13. Bhattacharya SK, Bhattacharya A, Kumar A, Ghosal S. Antioxidant activity of Bacopa monniera in rat frontal cortex, striatum and hippocampus. Phytother Res 2000;14: 174–179
14. Sheikh N, Ahmad A, Siripurapu KB, et al. Effect of Bacopa monniera on stress induced changes in plasma corticosterone and brain monoamines in rats. J Ethnopharmacol 2007; 111:671–676.