Bacopa (lunuwila)  …the smart drug –

by Emme Haddon

Nootropics, from Greek, meaning “mind-turning”, promote both brain function and brain health, protecting against cognitive decline, whilst boosting mental and physical performance. Often referred to as ‘smart drugs’, they can either be synthetic or natural herbal extracts which improve concentration, memory, motivation, attention and promote creativity.

The new millennium ushered in an era of mass brain fascination. In the early 2000s, Ryuta Kawashima’s Train Your Brain: 60 Days to a Better Brain, sold over a million copies in Japan and in 2006 Nintendo’s Brain Age game, advertised with the slogan “Getting the most out of your prefrontal cortex”, sold 120,000 copies in its first three weeks of availability. In 2008, Reuters called brain fitness the “hot industry of the future.”

In 2011, Bradley Cooper starred in Limitless, a movie about a man who takes a special pill and becomes smarter and more capable than anyone else on Earth. The film mainstreamed the idea of ‘genius in a bottle’ that was taking hold among Silicon Valley biohackers and human optimization zealots.

Today the nootropic market is responding to the demand for a “real Limitless pill” from students, programmers, young bankers, entrepreneurs, athletes and senior citizens with products such as BrainGear which promises “a clearer brain today” and “a stronger brain tomorrow,” and KeenMind which supports memory, concentration and learning retention, to stay focused and productive.

A Google search on the best nootropics will bring up Bacopa monnieri, either as an ingredient in a “nootropic stack“, a smart drug containing a combination of brain-boosting ingredients, or as a natural, adaptogenic, nootropic herb which boosts brain function and mental performance. Bacopa monnieri, commonly referred to as bacopa or water hyssop in English, is one of two extremely powerful nootropic herbs, rather confusingly, known as “brahmi” in Sanskrit – the other being gotukola.

Bacopa is known to improve spatial learning, the ability to process information, the ability to retain information, the speed of processing of visual information, memory, learning rate and attention. The bioactive components of bacopa are known to play a significant role in neuroprotection. It is particularly useful in age-related memory impairment and also helps reduce the symptoms of the neuro developmental disorder, ADHD, such as restlessness, poor self-control, inattention, and impulsivity whilst improving cognition.

Numerous double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials studies have demonstrated multiple anti-Alzheimer’s Disease mechanisms: it has been shown to reduce amyloid plaque A?40 & A?42 levels in the brain by approximately 60%, inhibit tau-mediated toxicity, reduce ROS and neuro-inflammation, and improve cognitive and learning behaviour.

It has also demonstrated neuroprotective potential against other disorders including epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease. Bacopa acts as a vasodilator and increases the blood circulation towards the brain with an upsurge in vital nutrients, energy, and oxygen, and mitigates the inflammatory responses and modulate neurotransmitter concentrations in the brain.

Bacopa, known as lunuwila in Sinhala, is a perennial creeping herb that grows in damp soils and marshes in Sri Lanka, India and many other warm, tropical parts of the world. In Sri Lanka it is frequently served in sambols and curries and is available as a fresh cut leaf vegetable in many supermarkets. It is highly revered as an Ayurvedic “medhya rasayana“, a herbal therapeutic that boosts memory, restores cognitive deficits and improve mental function.

It has been used for centuries in many Ayurvedic adaptogenic herbal formulations which support the physical function of the brain and nervous system and to treat conditions such as lack of concentration, anxiety, stress, poor cognition, epilepsy, and loss of memory. It has a bitter – sweet taste and cooling action that balances the pitta dosha and brings strength, tone, and rejuvenation to the circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems.

It is used in the treatment of gout, arthritis, and other inflammatory conditions; for bronchitis, sinusitis, excess mucus and phlegm; and rejuvenates and treats skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, abscesses, ulceration and reduces the appearance of scars. It is also a popular hair tonic used to repair damaged hair follicles and to promote hair growth.

In addition to it benefits as a nootropic, research suggests that bacopa’s active class of compounds, bacosides, may also have cancer-fighting properties. Test-tube studies have shown bacosides to inhibit the growth of breast, skin, colon and brain tumor cells. Bacopa helps regulate blood sugar levels, particularly in patients with diabetes, has also been shown to suppress the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, molecules that stimulate an inflammatory immune response, and inhibits enzymes which play key roles in inflammation and pain. The antioxidant compounds of bacopa strengthen the immune system against bacterial and virus infections and other pathogens.

The nootropic market was valued at USD 2.42 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 6.29 billion by 2028 with entrepreneurs, professionals, senior citizens and students, looking for something to give them the edge needed to perform at their best. The bacopa market size was valued at $315 million in 2019, and is forecast to reach USD 1.08 billion by 2028.

With an increasing ageing population, competition in the workplace and school, there is a huge market potential for bacopa, alone or in combination with other adaptogens and nootropics such as gotukola, tulsi and ashwagandha.