Brahmi (Bacopa Monnieri) (IUCN) (water hyssop, Brahmi, thyme-leafed gratiola, water myrrh, herb of grace, Indian pennywort) is a perennial, creeping herb that has been used in Ayurvedic and traditional medicine for centuries (Khare, 2003) [9. It’s difficult to pinpoint a precise native for this wetland-growing herb, but most researchers agree that it’s been growing for hundreds of thousands of years in the marshes of southern and eastern India, Australia, Europe, Africa, Asia, and North and South America (Warrier et. al., 1996) [17]. Bacopa is a therapeutic herb utilized in Ayurveda (Dhanasekaran et al., 2007) [6, where it is also referred to as “Brahmi,” after Brahma, the Hindu pantheon’s creator God. Bacopa Monnieri was first recorded as a Medhya Rasayana–class plant consumed to improve intelligence and decrease mental deficiencies in writings such as the Charaka Samhita, Atharva-Veda, and Susrut Samhita around the 6th century A.D. Ancient Vedic academics supposedly employed the herb to learn long holy songs and scriptures (Chatterji et al., 1965) [2].

Botanical Identification

It’s a herb that’s not aromatic. This plant has succulent, oblong leaves that are 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) thick. On the stem, the leaves are oblanceolate and placed oppositely (opposite decussate). Flowers with four to five petals are tiny, actinomorphic, and white. It is a popular aquarium plant because of its capacity to grow in water. It can even thrive in slightly saline environments. Cuttings are commonly used for propagation.

Chemical Ingredients In addition to numerous other chemical components and volatile ingredients, Brahmi has a number of important alkaloids and triterpene saponins that have powerful effects on the body (Daniel, 2005) [4]. The best-studied chemicals in Bacopa monnieri are bacosides, dammarane-type triterpenoid saponins with jujubogenin or pseudo-jujubogenin moieties aglycone units (Garai et al., 2009) [7]. Bacosides are a group of 12 analogs that have been identified. Bacopasides I–XII are other saponins that have only lately been discovered (Chakravarty et. al., 2003) [1]. The alkaloids brahmin, nicotine, herpestine, D-mannitol, apigenin, hersaponin, monnierasides I–III, cucurbitacin, and plantainoside B, have all been identified (Chakravarty et. al., 2008) [3]. Bacoside A was discovered to be a combination of bacoside A3, bacopa cide II, bacopasaponin C, and a jujubogenin isomer of bacosaponin C (Singh and Dhawan, 1997) [15], has been the most investigated ingredient. Bacoside concentrations may vary depending on the portion of the plant from which they are isolated in these experiments, which were conducted using whole plant extract (Deepak et. al., 2005) [5]. Rastogi et al. discovered the following bacoside profile in one Bacopa monnieri sample: bacopaside I (5.37 percent), bacoside A3 (5.59 percent), bacopaside II (6.9%), bacopasaponin C isomer (7.08 percent), and bacopasaponin C (4.18 percent) (Sivaramakrishna et. al., 2005) [16]. Brahmi’s Health Benefits People chew the leaves of Brahmi (2-3 per day) as a general tonic, somewhat like a vitamin supplement (Pase et al., 2012) [10]. The flavor is modest, but the actual reason for consuming Brahmi is for the health benefits it provides (Warrier et al., 1996) [17]. Let’s look at the unique health advantages of this excellent Ayurvedic herb in more detail.

1. Enhancing cognition Brahmi’s capacity to stimulate the mind, particularly memory and attention, is one of its most treasured properties. It’s been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries to help people focus and remember things. Some of the chemical components in Brahmi increase cognitive abilities by stimulating mental pathways in the brain (Singh and Dhawan, 1997) [15].

2. It is used to treat cognitive disorders. The capacity of Brahmi to lessen the onset of cognitive impairments as we age, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, is closely tied to the first advantage. Studies have demonstrated it to be an efficient technique of encouraging the formation of new neural connections and lowering oxidative stress in the brain, allowing us to maintain our thoughts sharp well into our senior years (Russo and Borrelli, 2005) [14].

3. Assists in reducing anxiety and stress Chewing the leaves of the Brahmi plant (just 2-3 at a time) can help reduce stress and anxiety. The active ingredients in this herb can affect hormonal balance in the body and positively impact the balance of stress hormones in our bodies, resulting in a calm, relaxed state naturally without the side effects of traditional pharmaceutical options for stress and anxiety relief (Pravina et al., 2007) [11].

4. Anti-inflammation properties The substances generated when the leaves of the Brahmi plant are rubbed topically on affected portions of the body can reduce swelling and irritation and inflammation inside the body. This is especially beneficial for persons with arthritis, gout, and other inflammatory diseases (Singh and Dhawan, 1997) [15].

5. Antioxidant Composition Brahmi is high in antioxidants, which are important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Free radicals are harmful byproducts of cellular metabolism that can cause cells to undergo apoptosis (cell death) or transform into malignant cells. Antioxidants can help to eliminate them. Because free radicals impact everything from our skin to our cardiovascular systems, including a daily or weekly dose of Brahmi can assist in maintaining a high quality of life and a healthy metabolism. Antioxidants also prevent certain types of cancer; research into the direct pathways that Brahmi’s components follow to prevent or slow the spread of cancer is ongoing. There is one especially harmful toxin, acrylamide, against which Brahmi has demonstrated specific resistance; acrylamide has been linked to neurological illnesses. Therefore this can be added to brahmi’s list of benefits (Singh and Dhawan, 1997) [15].

6. Beneficial to Respiratory Health Brahmi, either made as a tea or chewed as regular leaves, can help to improve respiratory health. Bronchitis, congestion, chest colds, and blocked sinuses have all been treated with it in Ayurvedic medicine. It can eliminate excess phlegm and mucus and alleviate inflammation in the throat and respiratory tracts to provide quick relief (Rastogi et al., 2012) [13].

7. Strengthens the immune system Brahmi, whether ingested in tea, leaves or otherwise, can provide a much-needed boost to the immune system. Antioxidant components are added to the foods to speed up our immune system’s reaction time to infections, viruses, and bacterial infections (Rastogi et al., 2012) [13].

8. It is used to treat epilepsy. For thousands of years, the leaves of the Brahmi tree have been used to treat epilepsy. The action of Brahmi on neuronal circuits is assumed to be the reason for this. It aids in the prevention of epileptic fits as well as other mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and neuralgia (Rastogi et al., 2012) [13].