Aquatic Plant Extract Helps with Memory in the Elderly

by | Apr 14, 2016 | 2010, Brain Health, Cognitive Health

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Those who took 300 mg of Bacopa monnieri for 12 weeks had a significant 19.6% increase in word recall and 24.5% higher score in the Complex Figure Test compared to placebo. 

Memory loss is frequently regarded as “a normal part of aging” but if left unchecked can lead to “mild cognitive impairment” or early signs of dementia (1), with Alzheimer’s disease being the most significant contributor to the $215 billion that dementia costs our healthcare system each year (2).

As a result, finding ways to maintain memory in the elderly can be extremely important. Now a new study (3) suggests that Bacopa monnieri, an aquatic plant used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine, may help with memory in older adults. In the study, 98 subjects (52 men, 46 women) aged 58 to 72 received either 300 milligrams per day of Bacopa monnieri or placebo for 12 weeks. Before and after the study, each subject completed several memory tests.

After 12 weeks, Bacopa monnieri produced significant improvements in two tests. In the first test, called the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (4), a 15-word list is read to the participant five times, with the subject recalling as many words as possible after each repetition. Specifically, word recall after the 5th repetition increased by 16.3% in the Bacopa group (9.2 to 10.7 words recalled) compared to a 3.3% decrease in the placebo group (9.3 to 9.0 words recalled, p = 0.016).

The second test, called the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (5), shows a complicated geometric object to the subject and they have to redraw the object 3 minutes and then 30 minutes later. Scoring involves giving marks for both placement and accuracy of 18 different components of the drawing (6). Specifically, those in the Bacopa group had 22.6% higher scores at 3 minutes (18.26 versus 14.89, p = 0.008) and 24.5% higher at 30 minutes (18.25 versus 14.65, p = 0.005).

These benefits did not come without a cost, however, Side effects were observed in the Bacopa group that included increased stool frequency (p = 0.007) , nausea (p = 0.000), and cramps (p = 0.003), which may be due to the high levels of saponins in Bacopa (7) When suggesting a mechanism for how Bacopa elicits these healthful effects on memory, the researchers point to studies suggesting that Bacopa improves the action of a nerve chemical in the brain called acetylcholine (8,9) as well as having strong antioxidant properties (10,11).

For the researchers, “Bacopa monnieri is effective in enhancement of memory performance in healthy older people, with improvements in both memory acquisition and retention” and that “exploration of Bacopa’s efficacy in neurodegenerative pathology is an area for possible future research.”

Source: Morgan, Annette, and John Stevens. “Does Bacopa monnieri improve memory performance in older persons? Results of a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial.” The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 16.7 (2010): 753-759.

© Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Posted December 23, 2015.

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. “Memory Loss: When to ask for help” posted on the National Institutes of Health Website
  2. “Prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease” posted on the National Institute of Aging website
  3. Morgan A. Does Bacopa monnieri Improve Memory Performance in Older Persons? Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial. Jou Alt Comp Ther 2010; 16(7): 753–759
  4. Rey AL. Clinical Tests in Psychology [in French]. Paris: Press Universitaire de France, 1964
  5. Osterrieth PA. The test of copying a complex figure: A contribution to the study of perception and memory [in French]. Arch Psychol 1944;30:286–340
  6. Lezak MD, Howieson DB, Loring DW. Neuropsychological Assessment. 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004:542
  7. 7. Mills S, Bone K. The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety. St. Louis: Elsevier, 2005:252.
  8. Bhattacharya SK, Kumar A, Ghosal S. Effect of Bacopa monniera on animal models of Alzheimer’s disease and perturbed central cholinergic markers of cognition in rats. Res Commun Pharmacol Toxicol 1999;4(3,4):ii1-ii12
  9. Das GS, Nath C, Pal R, et al. A comparative study in rodents of standardized extracts of Bacopa monniera and Gingko biloba anticholinesterase and cognitive enhancing activities. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2002;73:893-900
  10. Dey CD, Koley PN, Dutta CP. Chemical and pharmacological properties of Brahmi. J Exp Med Sci 1964;8:1-13
  11. Bhattacharya SK, Bhattacharya A, Kumar A, Ghosal S. Antioxidant activity of Bacopa monniera in rat frontal cortex, striatum and hippocampus.