In traditional medicine or Ayurveda, time-honored herb Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) is revered for its vast range of health benefits.
Regarded as the "herb of grace", Brahmi has been used to support mental clarity, reduce anxiety, and improve overall wellness for centuries. With diverse health benefits, this plant is gaining popularity in modern times. In this article, we’ll explore multiple Ayurvedic benefits of Brahmi along with ways to incorporate in your daily life.
Ancient Wisdom for Modern Minds: Pioneer in Ayurveda, Acharya Vagbhatta (who wrote ‘Astangahrudayam’) called Brahmi as ‘smrithikara’. According to Sanskrit, it means “memory enhancer”. Some recent preclinical studies have also confirmed the brain function enhancing functions of Brahmi. The dendrites in brain cells are linked to memory and learning. Brahmi has shown to be enhancing dendritic length and branching, improving cognitive abilities. It is also beneficial for processing visual information, and learning rate.
Find Your Peace: Brahmi is regarded as an adaptogenic herb, indicating its abilities to increase human body’s resistance to stress. Bramhi elevates mood and reduces by reducing cortisol levels, responsible for mood swings. According to a recent preclinical study, Bramhi has shown better anti-anxiety effects than medicines like lorazepam (benzodiazepine).
Brahmi’s Healing Wonders: Brahmi has shown to suppress the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, responsible for an inflammatory reactions. In preclinical studies, Bramhi has inhibited enzymes like cyclooxygenases, caspases, and lipoxygenases, all of which are responsible inflammation and pain. Even, Bramhi is more effective than two nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs named diclofenac and indomethacin, as confirmed by new studies.
Revitalize with Bramhi: Excess free radicals formation is associated with numerous chronic conditions including heart disease, diabetes, and several types of cancers. The only option to get rid of them is antioxidant consumption, which is found in abundance in Brahmi. The main phytocompound bacosides have shown to neutralize free radicals effectively and prevent fat molecules from reacting with those free radicals. As a result, Brahmi provides brilliant healing effects for inflammation-related health conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Find Focus with Brahmi: A recent study revealed Brahmi’s unique potential to treat Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a neurodevelopmental disorder with symptoms like hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattentiveness. In the study, regular Brahmi consumption has shown to significantly reduce restlessness, poor self-control, impulsivity and inattention.
As per Ayurveda, our nervous system is regulated by Vata and Brahmi is effective for Vata Dosha to provide mental alertness.
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For an adult, 10-20 ml of decoction is sufficient for daily use. If you are consuming Brahmi powder, the dose should not exceed 2-3 grams per day. Remember, children below 5 years should never consume Brahmi extract. For children above 5 years, the decoction amount should be 5-10ml per day and 1-2 g of powder per day. As the taste is not so good, you can consume with ghee. When you start taking Brahmi extract, you might face dizziness, nausea and stomach upset initially.
Brahmi grows brilliantly in wet and tropical environments, thus it's often preferred to use in aquarium.
