Give Your Brain a Boost with Bacopa

(Page 3 of 3)

September/October 2005
By Gina Mohammed, Ph.D. 
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Bacopa extract is available in capsules, powders, syrups and teas. According to the Alternative Medicine Review, recommended adult dosages for bacopa extracts standardized to 20 percent bacosides A and B are 200 to 400 mg daily in divided doses. For children’s syrups, follow package directions carefully. Therapeutic doses of bacopa are not associated with any serious side effects, but the herb may have a slight sedative effect, so use caution when combining it with other known sedatives. Also, bacopa may intensify the activity of thyroid-stimulating drugs or inhibit the effectiveness of thyroid-suppressant drugs.

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According to Ayurvedic practices, herbs typically are taken in combination with other herbs to offset toxicities or enhance benefits. Thus, bacopa is sometimes sold in combination with other herbs. Clinical research has not yet provided proof that such combinations work. (For example, an initial study reported recently in the journal Human Psychopharmacology found no evidence for enhanced cognitive benefits using bacopa plus ginkgo, at least over the course of a few weeks’ treatment.) This kind of research is still in its infancy.

Nonetheless, it would appear that bacopa on its own can keep us sharp into our golden years. For myself, I’ll be happy if it helps me on my next anniversary!

— Gina Mohammed, Ph.D., is a plant physiologist living in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. She is author of Catnip and Kerosene Grass: What Plants Teach Us About Life (www.CandlenutBooks.com).

Resources

Himalaya USA, www.HimalayaUSA.com; Innovative Medicine, www.InnovativeMedicine.com; The Vitamin Shoppe, www.VitaminShoppe.com 

The reference list for this article is extensive. If you would like a copy, please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to “Bacopa,” Herbs for Health, 1503 SW 42nd St., Topeka, KS 66609; or e-mail us at editor@HerbsForHealth.com.

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