The Uses for Bacopa

The herb bacopa (Bacopa monnieri) is also known as water hyssop and brahmi. Native to India, bacopa is a hardy, creeping ground cover with purple or white flowers and small oblong leaves. The entire plant is used for a wide range of medicinal purposes, according to "The New Healing Herbs."

Ayurvedic History

• Bacopa has been used for centuries in India's traditional Ayurvedic medicine. The herb was used to improve concentration, and to treat respiratory conditions, urinary incontinence, heart problems, seizures and mental illness. Some researchers consider bacopa to be an adaptogen -- an herb to enhance overall well-being.

Learning and Memory

• Traditional use of bacopa as a brain-boosting herb has been confirmed by modern research. Studies have shown bacopa to improve the speed of learning as well as memory consolidation. Bacopa contains compounds known as bacosides, which work to improve the transmission of nerve impulses. Bacosides focus their antioxidant properties on the parts of the brain that involve memory and reasoning -- the hippocampus and the frontal cortex.

Therapeutic Uses

• Bacopa has a wide range of additional medicinal uses. To prevent degenerative diseases, the antioxidant properties of bacopa reverse cellular damage caused by free radicals. This, in turn, may reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. The antioxidant properties also protect the liver from drug-induced damage. Bacopa helps stimulate the production of thyroid hormone that helps treat thyroid disease. Studies have shown bacopa to have anti-inflammatory actions, making it as effective as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but without the stomach upsets caused by NSAIDs. Animal studies have shown bacopa to have anti-anxiety properties that compare to the Valium family of drugs, according to The New Healing Herbs.

Therapeutic Possibilities

• Ayurvedic physicians have used bacopa in the treatment of epileptic seizures. Animal studies show bacopa to have anticonvulsant properties, but only when used in very high doses. Other animal studies suggest bacopa can be used as a bronchial dilator because it opens airways to the lungs. This could make bacopa useful for treating asthma and bronchitis. Pilot studies indicate that bacopa relaxes the digestive tract, making it beneficial for treating irritable bowel syndrome and indigestion. Bacopa suppresses the bacteria that cause ulcers and has also been shown to inhibit the growth of certain cancer cells, according to The New Healing Herbs book.

Safety

• Bacopa is available as a tea and in capsule, powder and syrup form. Therapeutic uses have not been associated with serious side effects and bacopa appears to be well-tolerated when taken in typical doses. However, when taken at high doses, bacopa may have slight sedative effects, according to the Herb Companion website. People who plan to take bacopa and who take other medications should notify their health-care provider so she can determine if there might be an adverse herb-drug interaction.