Bacopa Monnieri Extract May Help Support Mood

Bacopa monnieri is an herb that grows in India that has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine. A new study has found that a standarized bacopa monnieri extract may help improve mood.

One hundred adults with self-reported poor sleep participated in the study. They received 300 mg of standardized bacopa monnieri extract or a placebo daily for 28 days. The researchers evaluated sleep quality, depression, anxiety, stress, alertness, and emotional wellbeing at baseline and at the end of the study period.

Participants in the bacopa monnieri group saw a 14% improvement in emotional wellbeing, a 12% improvement in general health, and a 16% reduction in pain. In comparison, the placebo group saw only a 6% improvement in emotional wellbeing, a 4% improvement in general health, and a 3% reduction in pain. No changes were seen in sleep quality in either group.

The study was conducted by researchers from Murdoch University. It was published online ahead of print on August 2, 2021, in the Journal of Functional Foods