This perennial herb, with its small succulent leaves and delicate flowers, thrives in the wetlands of India and many parts of Asia.
Crushing the leaves make a recognizable lemony scent.
In English, this plant is known as a coastal water hyssop, but in Hindu it’s often called Brahmi. It has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for at least 3,000 years.
Two ancient texts, the Caraka Samhita and the Susharuta Samhita, describe how using bacopa enhances comprehension, memory capability, and learning.
Within tradition, new born children in India are ritually anointed with bacopa to, “open the gateway of intelligence”.
Typically, bacopa tea’s and syrups are regularly given to Indian children to enhance their intellectual abilities. The herb is is also considered a blood purifier and a remedy for diarrhea, bronchitis, and fevers.
Bacopa Monnieri is today known to help promote alertness and higher order functioning such as memory, cognition, and awareness.
Studies have shown that bacopa helps people process visual information more efficiently, learn quicker, and retain new information in their memory for longer.
It may be that it improves memory and learning because it relieves anxiety, and as a result, it improves cognitive functions.
Beneficial qualities:
- Assists in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression
- Ability to improve memory acquisition retention, and concentration
- Enhances your ability to learn efficiently
- Prevents and potentially treats cancer
- Assists in treating I.B.S
- Enhances physical performance
- Strengthens the immune system
- May be used as a cognitive aid for the eldery!