A £5 herbal supplement that TikTok creators claim is a ‘natural’ remedy for ADHD and anxiety can boost memory and concentration, surprising trial results suggest.
Indian researchers found the herb bacopa could have brain boosting powers when taken everyday for just three months.
Results showed those taking the botanical — which is extracted frpm plants that grow in wetlands — performed better than others on tests that measured memory, concentration, alertness, reasoning and mental flexibility.
Compared to a placebo group given a sugar pill, the 40 bacopa participants also saw a reduction in their hormones linked to stress and anxiety.
The authors, who presented their findings in the journal Gavin Publishers, also noted the bacopa group had higher levels of a protein associated with the production of new brain cells.
Bacopa’s brain-enhancing benefits are said to lie substances inside the plant called bacosides, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
The substance has long been popular among TikTok users, who’ve shared videos claiming that it may even serve some memory-boosting benefit to those with early stage Alzheimer’s disease.
Independent experts, however, are cautious about the new findings, and say taking the supplement involves risks.
A herbal supplement, that costs just £5 a pack and is popular on TikTok, can boost memory and concentration, a trial suggests
Writing for The Conversation, Professor James Goodwin, an expert in the science of ageing at Loughborough University, said bacopa could make certain medications less effective.
‘It inhibits an important brain chemical called acetylcholine and therefore could counteract cholinergic drugs for conditions such as dementia, glaucoma and urinary retention,’ he wrote.
Other drugs that may be rendered useless by bacopa include those used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
These medicines also work by altering levels of acetylcholine.
Additionally, a known common side effect of bacopa is digestive problems such as nausea and abdominal cramps.
For this reason, patients with issues like stomach ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome are also cautioned against taking it.
The study involved 80 participants between the age of 18 and 55 who were split into two groups — hald were given a 300mg dose of bacopa and other half a placebo.
Tests were performed at the beginning of the three month experiement, twice during once and at the end.
Examples of memory tasks included telling a participant a series of numbers and asking them to repeat the list back, memorising the placement and order of squares on a screen and searching for a specific object in a cluttered space.
Tests assessing cognitive abilities like concentration included word and colour puzzles.
While the new offers promising findings, experts say there is not yet enough sufficient evidence to prove bacopa’s health benefits.
The Indian researchers behind the trial, which was funded by a company that makes bacopa supplements, said their results could have implications for people seeking a way to boost their brain healthily.
‘Unlike synthetic cognitive enhancing drugs which are potentially addictive, herbal supplements are less adverse and highly tolerable,’ they wrote.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
