Moneywort (Bacopa) is among the plants that are good for memory.
In modern Western herbal medicine, bacopa is used to relieve tension and prevent stress.
Herbal medicine practitioners also recommend this herb for emotional health, physical endurance, and a healthy immune system.
Bacopa (Moneywort) is a plant that loves swamps.
It is a perennial herb with small, fleshy leaves and delicate mauve flowers.
It grows in wetlands and near muddy waters in many parts of India and Asia.
The crushed Bacopa (Moneywort) leaf has a distinctive lemony odour.
In English, the plant is also called coastal hyssop, while in India it is often called Brahmi.
This herb has been used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for at least 3000 years for the treatment of many ailments, particularly memory and cognitive problems.
According to two ancient Vedic scriptures, the Bacopa (Moneywort) plant was formerly used for learning and memory problems.
Children born in India were traditionally rubbed with Bacopa oil, and it was believed that the way to the mind was opened.
Bacopa teas and syrups were also drunk to develop the intellectual abilities of Indian children.
What Will We Learn?
What Are The Benefits Of The Bacopa Monnieri (Moneywort) Plant?
The benefits of the Bacopa Monnieri plant are listed below:
- Understanding
- Memory
- Anti Anxiety
Bacopa can guide the field of medicine on what to do to strengthen mental functions and memory.
Laboratory results, studies on animals and humans have provided data confirming the traditional uses of the plant in India.
Two compounds classified as saponins, bacoside A and bacoside B, have been shown to reduce memory loss and accelerate learning in experimental animals.
Bacopa may provide this effect by acting as an antioxidant and affecting the metabolism and level of acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter in the brain and central nervous system.
23 healthy adult humans given 2 capsules of 150 mg daily for 3 months did better on various mental tests than another group given a placebo.
After 3 months, the group that took Bacopa improved in memory, learning speed, reduced forgetfulness, less anxiety, and information processing speed.
Another area where Bacopa can be used is in the treatment of anxiety.
This is an interesting use case because many options for relieving anxiety cause memory problems, but Bacopa can improve memory in some conditions.
Well-organized and human clinical trials will yield more robust results regarding the use of the plant in this field.
Moneywort Light Requirements
Light plays an important role in the care of the Moneywort plant.
Giving 2-3 watts of light per gallon would be a good choice for the plant.
Simple LED lighting is usually sufficient for plant care but should produce a spectrum in the 5000-7000°K range.
This plant grows best with 10-12 hours of light per day.
If you want the plant to grow at its best, leave it in the light for 10 to 12 hours a day.
High light and regular pruning will keep your plant growing bushy and compact, while less light and less pruning can cause discoloration and other deterioration of your plant.
Giving this plant CO2 and fertilizer is not a good choice because the plant will grow well without fertilizer and CO2.
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Can Children Consume Moneywort?
It is safe for children aged 6 to 12 years and can be consumed up to 6 months.
How To Plant Moneywort?
Moneywort does not require a specific soil type but will grow best in aquarium soil.
Apart from aquarium soil, you can also grow this plant in sand or gravel.
However, you will have some questions about planting because it likes to swim.
It would be best to use aquarium tweezers to make sure the plant is intact.
You can get help from light rocks or gravel to keep the plant stable.
When you plant the plants you should make sure to plant the roots 0.5 -1 inch deep into the substrate.
You should make sure that the distance between the plants is at least 2 inches.
You can also grow this plant as a floating birki.
It usually doesn’t take long to do this.
By carefully separating the stems, you can let them float freely on the water surface.
If you are going to grow this plant as a floating plant, make sure the plant type under the plant gets enough light.
The shade of this plant may prevent light from falling on other plants in some cases.
Can Bacopa (Moneywort) Help Us With Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure is a serious health problem because it puts pressure on your heart and blood vessels.
Not paying attention to this health problem can tire your heart and increase the risk of heart disease.
Some studies suggest that the Bacopa plant helps to keep blood pressure at a normal level.
In some animal studies, this herb has been observed to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels.
In studies, this herb improved blood flow by releasing nitric oxide, helping to dilate blood vessels and lowering blood pressure.
A 12-week study in 54 healthy people found that taking 300 mg of Bacopa daily had no effect on blood pressure.
As a result, it was observed that this plant decreased blood pressure in animal studies, but there was no effect in human studies.
Therefore, more studies on humans are needed to learn more about the effect of this herb on blood pressure patients.
Has Anticancer Properties
Animal studies have found that Moneywort plant may have anticancer properties.
Studies have shown that bacosides, a component of the plant, inhibit the growth of breast and colon cancer cells and kill brain tumor cells.
Studies have shown that compounds such as antioxidants and bacosides in the plant fight cancer.
It should be noted that these studies are on animals.
Cancer should not be treated with this plant until further human studies are done.
How Is Bacopa Monnieri (Moneywort) Used?
- Capsules: You can have 5-10 grams of crushed Bacopa per day.
- Tea: Infuse 1 or 2 teaspoons of Bacopa leaves in 1 glass of water for 5-10 minutes and drink 3 times a day.
- Tincture: Take 1 or 2 teaspoons of tincture or 2 Tablespoons of syrup daily. You can also use it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Extract: Standardized extracts contain 20-55% bacoside, the dose should be 150 mg twice a day.
Things To Pay Attention
Some people have reported that when they consume Bacopa, they experience dry lips, nausea, and fatigue.
But in most of the studies, no side effects were found.
Bacopa can increase drowsiness and interact with thyroid medications when used with sedative medications.
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Sources:
- Bacoside A Induces Tumor Cell Death in Human Glioblastoma Cell Lines through Catastrophic Macropinocytosis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28663722/ - Evaluation of anticancer potential of Bacopa monnieri L. against MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231 cell line
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26681894/ - The Purified Extract from the Medicinal Plant Bacopa monnieri, Bacopaside II, Inhibits Growth of Colon Cancer Cells In Vitro by Inducing Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30037060/ - Bacoside A Induces Tumor Cell Death in Human Glioblastoma Cell Lines through Catastrophic Macropinocytosis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28663722/ - In vitro studies of Bacopa monnieri–an important medicinal plant with reference to its biochemical variations.
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/In-vitro-studies-of-Bacopa-monnieri–an-important-Mohapatra-Rath/b744247d33dc2ea6870b8bad1f71db7fca057e36?p2df - Enhancement of basolateral amygdaloid neuronal dendritic arborization following Bacopa monniera extract treatment in adult rats
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21655763/ - The chronic effects of an extract of Bacopa monniera (Brahmi) on cognitive function in healthy human subjects
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11498727/ - Effects of 12-Week Bacopa monnieri Consumption on Attention, Cognitive Processing, Working Memory, and Functions of Both Cholinergic and Monoaminergic Systems in Healthy Elderly Volunteers
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23320031/ - What are the benefits of Bacopa, one of the plants that are good for memory? How is Bacopa used?
https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/hafizaya-iyi-gelen-bitkilerden-bacopanun-faydalari-neler-bacopa-nasil-kullanilir-40755288
