Author: Paul Tardner Date published: 18/06/2020
Originally published at: IJEST Pull test PDF: View PDF
Abstract
Bacopa monnieri is widely used in natural nootropic supplements. It is variously described as a memory enhancer, a guard against cognitive decline, and a natural palliative for age-related cognitive impairment. Clinical trials have shown that Bacopa monnieri consumption does indeed improve memory function, particularly in older people and those with mild cognitive impairment. Those same studies implicate that specific compounds in Bacopa monnieri called bacosides are responsible for the observed improvements in cognitive function. We posit that those bacosides work primarily by stimulating dendrite branching. We assert that the benefits of Bacopa monnieri supplementation can thus be attributed to this dendritic branching effect.
Keywords: Bacopa monnieri, dendrite, neuron, nootropic, cognition
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