Bacopa monnieri
Bacopa monnieri (L.) - other names: Brahmi (Ayurvedic), Coastal Waterhyssop, Thyme-leafed gratiola, Babies tear, Water hyssop (English), Lunuwila (Sinhalese), Phak mi, Phrommi (Thai), Niirpirami (Tamil), Bacopa Monniera, Gratiola Monniera, Herpestis Monniera, Monniera cuneifolia, Monniera Monniera (Latin)
Bacopa monnieri is a creeping perennial herb with succulent, thick leaves. It grows on marshy wetlands or shorelines and has the ability to grow in water. It is sometimes grown in aquariums and can even grow in slightly brackish (mildly salty) water. It is common in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan, Hawaii and Vietnam and is also now grown in the southern USA. It is sometimes used in Vietnamese cuisine. [1]
Bacopa monnieri has been a popular herbal remedy in India since old times. Its Ayurvedic name is Brahmi, however care should be taken to avoid confusion as the name Brahmi has also been used for another unrelated medicinal herb, Centella asiatica aka. Gotu Kola.
Bacopa monnieri has been found to have some interesting qualities as an herb. It is believed to be an enhancer of cognitive ability and this has been backed up by some scientific research. Animal studies have shown that the plant improves memory capacity and motor learning ability, and recent studies have found that it may also improve intellectual activity. B. monnieri has also shown positive results in memory acquisition and retention in human trials, and bacosides A, isolated from the plant, have been reported to have antioxidant activity. [1]
There is an interesting legend that the Rishis, Indian 'Holy Men', were able to recite the gigantic epic Mahabharata word for word, despite the fact that this would take several weeks. They attributed their memory abilities to tea made from Bacopa monnieri. [2]
It is also widely reported online (without citing any reference) that B. monnieri is stated by Unani medicine (a traditional form of medicine practiced in southern Asia) to be aphrodisiac.
Bacopa monnieri - History
The plant is listed under variant Latin names in older texts prior to the 20th century, such as Bacopa Monniera, Gratiola Monniera, Herpestis Monniera, Monniera cuneifolia and Monniera Monniera. [3] [4]
William Dymock's 1885 "The Vegetable Materia Medica of Western India" lists Herpestis Monniera, mentioning some medicinal qualities but making no mention of aphrodisiac qualities ascribed to the plant. [5] A similar report is found in Udoy Chand Dutt and Sir George King's 1877 "The materia medica of the Hindus: compiled from Sanskrit medical works". and other works of that era.
Finally, after much searching of Google Books, I found a mention: William Dymock, David Hooper, C. J. H. Warden's 1893 "Pharmacographia Indica: A History Of The Principal Drugs Of Vegetable Origin Met With In British India, Volume 3" lists Herpestis Monniera, and states "In Pondicherry it is considered to be aphrodisiac". [6] So there is a thread - but a thin one.
Is Bacopa monnieri an Aphrodisiac?
Numerous trials have investigated the effects of Bacopa monnieri on memory function, and results have generally been positive. A search of Pubmed revealed 64 abstracts - most of which reported on the cognitive, anti-epileptic and antioxidant properties of the plant.
Bacopa Monnieri
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr - lic. under CC BY 3.0
A 2009 study at the Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, showed Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi) to have reversible antifertility effects on male mice. This is curious for an alleged aphrodisiac! Libido and testosterone were reported unchanged. [7]
None of the other studies evaluated the effects of the plant on sexuality - and many of the sources which tend to list aphrodisiac qualities of plants, make no mention of any such qualities for Bacopa.
Bacopa monnieri contains many active compounds, including alkaloids (brahmine and herpestine), saponins (d-mannitol and hersaponin, acid A, and monnierin), flavonoids (luteolin and apigenin), betulic acid, stigmastarol, beta-sitosterol and several bacopasaponins. [1]
In conclusion, it seems that Bacopa monnieri has some interesting qualities and possible medicinal use. It may have some aphrodisiac action, but as a 'minor' contender is seems that it may be a while before science gets around to examining this property of the plant in detail. Bacopa monnieri seems to be available in supplement form from a number of suppliers.
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Sources:
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacopa_monnieri
[2] http://www.herbalextractsplus.com/bacopa-monnieri.cfm
[3] http://books.google.com/books?id=0dgYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA12
[4] http://www.mywayout.org/community/f60/brahmi-bacopa-monnieri-syn-b-monniera-monniera-cuniefolia-herpestis-monniera-f-28571.html
[5] http://books.google.com/books?id=hqAfAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA579
[6] http://books.google.com/books?id=vl06AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA9
[7] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19041444
Note - the information on this website is not medical advice, is not a substitute for medical consultation, has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure any disease. Please seek advice from a medical professional if you have symptoms, are concerned about your health, or before using supplements or aphrodisiac products.
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