Brahmi: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects, and more!

Introduction

Brahmi, also called Bacopa monnieri, belongs to the family Scrophulariaceae. It is a small, succulent (stems adapted to store water), glabrous (smooth), creeping or prostrate (branches above the ground) annual herb. It is also known as Herpestis monniera, water hyssop (small bushy) and is locally known as Jalanimba or brahmi in India. The term brahmi is derived from the word ‘Brahma’, which refers to the mythical God of creation in Hindu mythology¹.

Brahmi has been primarily used for nearly 3000 years by Ayurvedic medical professionals. As the brain is considered the centre of creative activity, any substance that might boost the brain’s health is known as brahmi. It also means ‘bringing knowledge of the supreme reality”. Brahmi may be recognised as a popular memory booster among locals.

Nutritional Benefits of Brahmi

The compounds in brahmi that might be responsible for beneficial effects are saponin, alkaloids, and sterols.

Properties of Brahmi

The properties of brahmi are described as follows:

• It may have analgesic potential (pain killer)¹
• It may have anti-inflammatory potential¹
• It may have anti-microbial properties¹ (may kill microbes and bacteria)
• It may have anti-convulsant potential (may be helpful in seizures)
• It may have anti-depressant properties (may relieve depression)
• It may have anxiolytic properties (reduces anxiety)
• It may have anti-neoplastic properties (may help in cancer)
• It may have antioxidant properties¹
• It may have beneficial properties for liver health
• It may have an immuno-stimulatory potential (may stimulate the immune system)³
• It may have sedative potential (may induce sleep and calmness)
• It may have anti-ulcer potential

Potential Uses of Brahmi

The potential uses of brahmi might be beneficial for various conditions. However, more research is needed to state the true potential of brahmi for human health.

1. Potential Uses of Brahmi for Stomach

The stomach-related effects of brahmi have been studied in lab, animal, and human studies. A review report² by Gohil and Patel et al. 2010 suggests the following benefits of brahmi.

• Stomach ulcer: Various animal and lab studies³ have suggested that brahmi might have a beneficial effect on stomach ulcers. They have reported that brahmi may relieve ulcers.
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Lab studies² conducted by Goel et al. 2004, Rao et al. 2000 and Sairam et al. 2001 have shown that brahmi may have spasmolytic activity and that it might be beneficial for relieving intestinal spasms and IBS. IBS is a chronic colon disorder and is characterised by diarrhoea or constipation, cramping (sudden contraction of muscles), stomach pain, and passing mucus in the stools.

However, more studies are required to ascertain the potential uses of brahmi for ulcers. Therefore, kindly consult a doctor as stomach ulcers and IBS are serious problems and should only be diagnosed and treated by a qualified doctor.

2. Potential Uses of Brahmi for Brain

• For cognition: Some researchers, Bhattacharya et al. 1999 have reported that the brahmi extract was found to reverse the cognitive deficits (loss of memory and thinking) in animal models⁴. In a human study⁵ conducted by Roodenrys et al. 2002 with people aged 45 to 65 years, it was seen that the rate of learning was unaffected, implying that brahmi might reduce the rate of forgetting newly acquired information. Cognitive effects of Brahmi might be due to its antioxidant properties. There is a need for further research to determine whether brahmi might benefit human cognition.
• For Sedation: Some studies⁹ by Aithal et al. 1961 and Prakash et al. 1962 have found that brahmi extract and the extract of the whole plant may have sedative and tranquillising (helps reduce anxiety, tension, fear) effects on animals. There is a need for more studies on humans to suggest that brahmi may have sedative properties, as these studies are very old and were done on animals.
• For anxiety: In Ayurvedic medicine, the traditional use of brahmi as an anti-anxiety medication may be supported by both human and animal studies. In a human study², brahmi showed reduced symptoms of anxiety, level of disability and mental fatigue, level of anxiety, and an increase in memory span. This information is insufficient and requires more studies to back this claim.
• For seizure: In Ayurvedic medicine, Brahmi has been used as a solution for seizures. The extracts of Brahmi were tested on animals, which showed anti-convulsant activity in animals⁶. Therefore, Brahmi might be helpful in convulsions seen in seizures. However, human studies are required to confirm its anti-convulsant properties.

3. Potential Uses of Brahmi for liver

• In an animal study⁷, Brahmi was found to be beneficial against drug-induced kidney and liver toxicity. It may also show strong activity in maintaining the antioxidant system that might benefit animals from drug-induced liver toxicity. However, this information is not sufficient because these studies are done on animals. We require more human studies to support the true scope of Brahmi on human health.

4. Potential Uses of Brahmi for Cancer

• Brahmi extract was tested for its anticancer properties in various cancer cell lines and animal models. The cell line study⁸ by Elangovan et al. 1995 suggested that brahmi may have anticancer activity and mainly shows anticancer action by inhibiting DNA replication. This might decrease the chances of the cancer cells multiplying and producing new cancer cells. Thereby, it might slow the growth of the tumour. However, similar studies on humans are required to check the effectiveness of brahmi in humans as an anticancer agent. Since cancer is a severe condition, it requires a proper diagnosis and treatment. So, kindly consult a doctor and do not use Brahmi to self-medicate.

Though there are studies that show the benefits of Brahmi in various conditions, these are old and insufficient, and there is a need for further studies to establish the true extent of the benefits of Brahmi on human health.

How to Use Brahmi

You can use brahmi in:

• Powder form
• Syrup
• Infusion (prepared by soaking the herb in liquid)

You must consult a qualified doctor before taking any herbal supplements made from Brahmi. Likewise, do not discontinue or replace an ongoing treatment of modern medicine with an ayurvedic/herbal preparation without consulting a qualified doctor.

Side Effects of Brahmi

Commonly reported side effects of Brahmi include:

• Nausea
• Increased stomach motility (food moving from the mouth to the throat)
• Stomach upset

However, if you experience any adverse reactions to brahmi, immediately contact a doctor or your Ayurvedic physician who has prescribed it to you. They will be able to guide you appropriately for your symptoms.

Precautions to Take with Brahmi

Brahmi might be considered safe if it is consumed in small amounts. However, general precautions have to be followed to avoid complications.

• For breastfeeding and pregnancy: There is insufficient data regarding its safe usage during breastfeeding and pregnancy. Avoid taking brahmi or consult your doctor if you want to take brahmi during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• Sedative: Because brahmi has sedative properties, it is advised to use it with caution in combination with other known sedative medicines.
• Children and Elderly: One must also be cautious while giving it to children and older people because their weak immunity might develop reactions in the body.
• People need to be aware that brahmi should not be used to self-medicate before consulting a doctor.

Interactions with Other Medicines

Lab and animal studies have shown that the extract of brahmi might enhance the effects of some medicines or have an effect against some medicines and their harmful side effects³.

• Brahmi was noted to decrease the toxicity of morphine (a habit-forming medicine used to relieve pain) and phenytoin (help in seizures) in animal studies.
• The extract of brahmi enhanced the sleep caused by a common medicine, phenobarbital (which helps relieve anxiety and causes sedation). Therefore, it should be used with caution when combined with other known sedatives.
• Brahmi might also enhance thyroid hormone activity in animal models at a high dosage. Therefore, taking Brahmi might interact with the thyroid hormone or medicines related to the thyroid in the body.
• Brahmi extract was also found to enhance the effects of chlorpromazine (which treats mental/mood disorders). Therefore, use with caution before taking Brahmi.
• Therefore, you must always seek the medical advice of your Ayurvedic physician and follow the prescription thoroughly, as they will know your health condition and other medications you are taking.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References

1. Choudhary S, Kumari I, Thakur S, Kaurav H, Chaudhary G. BRAHMI (Bacopa monnieri)– A potential Ayurvedic cognitive enhancer and neuroprotective herb. Int J Ayurveda Pharma Res. 2021 May;9(5):41–6. doi: 10.47070/ijapr.v9i5.1917. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353179496_BRAHMI_BACOPA_MONNIERI-_A_POTENTIAL_AYURVEDIC_COGNITIVE_ENHANCER_AND_NEUROPROTECTIVE_HERB
2. Mathur D, Goyal K, Koul V, Anand A. The molecular links of re-emerging therapy: a review of evidence of Brahmi (Bacopa monniera). Front Pharmacol. 2016 Mar 4;7:44. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00044. PMID: 26973531; PMCID: PMC4778428. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4778428/
3. Walker EA, Pellegrini MV. Bacopa monnieri. [Updated 2023 Mar 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK589635/
4. Bhattacharya SK, Ghosal S. Anxiolytic activity of a standardized extract of Bacopa monniera: an experimental study. Phytomedicine. 1998 Apr;5(2):77–82. doi: 10.1016/S0944-7113(98)80001-9. PMID: 23195757. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23195757/
5. Roodenrys S, Booth D, Bulzomi S, Phipps A, Micallef C, Smoker J. Chronic effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) on human memory. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2002 Aug;27(2):279–81. doi: 10.1016/S0893-133X(01)00419-5. PMID: 12093601. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12093601/
6. Mishra A, Mishra AK, Jha S. Effect of traditional medicine brahmi vati and bacoside A-rich fraction of Bacopa monnieri on acute pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures, amphetamine-induced model of schizophrenia, and scopolamine-induced memory loss in laboratory animals. Epilepsy Behav. 2018;80:144–151. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2018.01.003. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1525505017310867
7. Sumathi T, Niranjali Devaraj S. Effect of Bacopa monniera on liver and kidney toxicity in chronic use of opioids. Phytomedicine. 2009 Oct;16(10):897–903. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2009.03.005. Epub 2009 Apr 29. PMID: 19403290. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19403290/
8. Elangovan V, Govindasamy S, Ramamoorthy N, Balasubramanian K. In vitro studies on the anticancer activity of Bacopa monnieri. Fitoterapia. 1995;66(3):211–5. doi: 10.5555/19950315011. Available from: https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.5555/19950315011
9. Singh HK, Dhawan BN. Effect of Bacopa monniera Linn. (Brāhmi) extract on avoidance responses in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 1982;5(3):205–14. doi: 10.1016/0378-8741(82)90004-7. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0378874182900447

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

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