Benefits
Working memory and story recall in healthy students
In 60 medical students given BaCognize 150 mg twice daily or placebo for 6 weeks, backward digit span (a working memory test) and story recall improved more than with placebo. Reaction time, finger tapping, paired word recall and symbol substitution tests did not differ. This is one short study in a single student group, and the maker donated the product and placebo.
Attention and processing speed (other Bacopa extracts)
A meta-analysis of 9 placebo-controlled trials of standardized Bacopa extracts taken for at least 12 weeks (518 participants) found faster Trail B attention test times and shorter choice reaction time. The pooled trials used various Bacopa extracts, so results may not transfer directly to BaCognize. A small 12-week trial in adults over 55 found no clear benefit.
Feelings of calm in older adults (other Bacopa extract)
In a 12-week trial in 54 adults aged 65 or older using a different standardized Bacopa extract at 300 mg/day, combined state and trait anxiety scores fell with Bacopa but rose with placebo, while a general mood questionnaire showed no difference. BaCognize itself has not been tested for stress or anxiety.
Tolerability in trials
In a 12-week trial of a standardized Bacopa extract in older adults, adverse events were similar with Bacopa (9 people) and placebo (10), mainly stomach upset. In the BaCognize student trial, serum calcium rose slightly but stayed within the normal range. A review describes low toxicity in animals and humans, but long-term human safety studies are lacking.
How the studied extract is made
In its published trial, BaCognize was made by extracting dried aerial parts of Bacopa monnieri with methanol and spray drying the concentrate. The extract contained 45% Bacopa saponins by UV assay and 11.38% of four measured bacosides by HPLC. Other Bacopa brands use different extraction methods and standardization targets, so they are not interchangeable.
Mechanism of action
Cholinergic activity
Lab and animal research summarized in a review suggests Bacopa may inhibit acetylcholinesterase and/or activate choline acetyltransferase, which would raise acetylcholine, a messenger involved in learning and memory. This has not been confirmed in human trials.
Antioxidant effects in animal studies
In animal studies, Bacopa extracts raised antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase and lowered lipid peroxidation. Comparable measurements in people are lacking.
Dendritic branching in rats
In adult rats given a standardized Bacopa extract for 4 to 6 weeks, hippocampal neurons showed more dendritic branching and spatial learning improved, while 2 weeks of treatment did not change the neurons. Whether this happens in people is unknown.
BDNF (proposed)
Bacopa is proposed to raise brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a growth factor involved in learning. In a 12-week trial in adults over 55, serum BDNF did not change significantly compared with placebo.
Clinical trials
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial in 60 second-year medical students aged 19 to 22; BaCognize 150 mg or placebo twice daily for 6 weeks (Kumar et al. 2016, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med)
60 healthy medical students in India (2 dropped out for non-compliance).
Backward digit span and the logical memory (story recall) test improved significantly more than with placebo. Forward digit span, paired associates, nonsense syllables, finger tapping, simple and choice reaction time, choice discrimination and digit picture substitution showed no significant difference. Serum calcium rose within the normal range; cholesterol and HDL changes did not differ from placebo. The maker supplied the product and placebo free of charge.