Bacopa monnieri, also known as brahmi, water hyssop or moneywort, has been used for centuries in Ayurveda traditional medicine and has long been thought of as a “wonder herb.” Bacopa contains contains anthraquinones, phytosterol, and terpenoids, as well as numerous biologically active compounds, such as alkaloids (brahmine and herpestine), bacopasaponins, flavonoids (glucuronyl-7-apigenin, glucuronyl-7-luteolin, luteolin-7-glucoside, and luteolin), and saponins (bacogenins, bacosides, and bacopasides). These powerful compounds are responsible for the herb’s many pharmacological and therapeutic benefits.
Bacopa is commonly known as a “nootropic”, and for good reason. It has been shown to help repair neurons that have become damaged, improve brain function, improve neuron communication, and protect brain cells from harmful chemicals that are responsible for neurological diseases linked to cognition and memory, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Bacopa has also shown the ability to help regulate the body’s response to both acute and chronic stress and may act as a potent adaptogen.