BRAHMI : Bacopa Monnieri - Scrophularaceae
Part used : Entire herb
Energetics :
- Rasa (taste) : Bitter, Sweet
- Virya (action) : Cooling
- Vipaka (post-digestive effect) : Sweet
- Guna (quality) : Light, Flowing (Sara/laxative)
Doshas : VPK=. V+ in excess
Dhatus (Tissues) :
All 7 tissues- especially Plasma, Blood, Nerve
Srotas (channels) : Circulatory, Digestive, Nervous
Action :
Sedative, nervine, cardiotonic, anti-spasmodic, anti-convulsant, anti-inflammatory, calms Vata, reduces mental illness, heart tonic, rejuvenative (Rasayana) particularly to the nervous system, alleviates skin conditions
Used to help relieve and prevent stress
Brahmi acts as powerful brain food, and is known for its ability to enhance mind power.
It supports and improves all aspects of non functioning, including comprehension (Dhi), memory (Dhriti) and recollection (Smriti).
It is important because it also enhances the crucial coordination of these three aspect of mental functioning.
Indications :
BRAIN : Improves memory, learning ability, concentration times. In mental disorders, epilepsy, mania and hysteria.
NERVES : Post- exhaustion, stress, debility from depletion of vata. Specific herb for all conditions of a depleted majjadhatu. Also used in skin conditions with a underlying nervous imbalance. Eases constipation from stress, muscle tightness, menstrual pain.
URINARY : It can cool the heat of cystitis or pain of dysuria.
EXTERNAL USE : As a medicated oil it is a neuralgic in joint pain. Used as a head rub for headaches and to clear the mind.
Brahman is the all pervading consciousness and Brahma is the divinity responsible for all 'creative' forces in the world.
With Brahmi deriving its name from these roots it has a lot to live up to. And it does !
Its mind enhancing, and nervous system soothing effects are legendary.
It is a creeping annual and spreads over the earth as creativity and awareness spread throughout us.
Bacopa monniera is the authentic Brahmi and preferred by vaidyas in treatment. It is also known as Jala Brahmi, 'Water Brahmi'. It is often confused with Centella Asiatica / Gotu Kola which is also generically known as Brahmi in North India.
Often combined with ghee to enhance its tonifying, nervine and pitta cooling effect.
Contraindications :
None
Dosage :
2 - 6 g per day
1 teaspoon before breakfast and diner mixed with hot water.
Composition :
Bacopa Monnieri leaves in powder
Brahmi- A Potent Brain Tonic.
1.In clinical and preclinical studies, Bacopa monnieri has been shown to contribute to enhanced exploratory behavior and greater desire to seek out novelty, sharpened memory, and increased learning and retention. A placebo-controlled, double blind study, tested the efficacy of Bacopa monnieri in children. For six weeks, 50 normal school children split into two groups were given Bacopa monnieri and placebo respectively. At the conclusion, they were evaluated for attention, concentration, and memory. Bacopa monnieri was shown to improve all these aspects significantly.
2.The use of herbal extracts to improve brain function is becoming increasingly popular and, in a study by Bhattacharya et. al, reported in Phytotherapeutic Research 14 (3), 174-9 (2000), the effects of the Ayurvedic herb Bacopa monniera (BM), also known as Brahmi, were compared with Deprenyl, and both substances were assessed as to their effect on brain chemicals associated with oxidative stress and memory function.
In the study carried out in rats, a standardised extract of Bacopa for 7, 14 or 21 days was compared with deprenyl. After 14 and 21 days of Bacopa there was an increase of Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Glutathione Peroxidase (GPX) in all brain areas, whereas deprenyl showed increased antioxidant activities only in the frontal cortex and the striatum.
The authors suggest that the antioxidant and free radical scavenging effects of Bacopa may partly explain the cognitive-facilitating action of the herb.
Brahmi- the stress reliever
Brahmi induces a sense of calm and peace in its users. It is unique in its ability to invigorate mental processes whilst reducing the effects of stress and nervous anxiety. This makes Brahmi extremely applicable in highly stressful work or study environments where clarity of thought is as important as being able to work under pressure. Many people have the intelligence to perform to strict standards, but lack the composure and self-confidence to reach them. Additionally, Brahmi helps soothe the restlessness and distraction that nervousness causes. Brahmi is ideal for students and workers faced with this problem.
Brahmi increases memory
1.Brahmi has shown to be helpful in treating ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), age-related mental deterioration and concentration difficulties due to stress, it may be incredibly beneficial where there is no health condition, but only the desire to improve cognitive function. An animal study in 1982 found that Brahmi improved the initial acquisition of learned information as well as retention ability. The study also showed that Brahmi delayed the length of time it took for the information to become extinct or 'unlearned'. Brahmi is as eminently suited to a healthy, young student looking to maximize their ability to focus and study, as to an elderly person hoping to regain their memory. It enables people to optimize their intellectual potential and mental vitality for the betterment of both personal and professional pursuits.
2.Central Drug Institute of India discovered that Brahmi contained two main active ingredients, Bacosides A and B. The neurobiological effects of these isolated molecules were found to increase protein kinase activity and new protein synthesis, specifically in cells in regions of the brain associated with long-term memory. They determined that this long-treasured herb had the amazing ability to facilitate learning, memory and concentration by stimulating neural activity.
|