Bacopa monnieri may produce a small improvement in memory, but the effect is inconsistent across different tests, scenarios, and populations, making it difficult to ascertain specifically when and for whom it’s most beneficial. A 2014 meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials reported that Bacopa monnieri has the potential to improve cognition, especially speed of attention.[1] However, a 2021 meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials did not find clinically meaningful differences for any nootropic, neuroprotective, or mood-related outcomes in participants who took Bacopa monnieri compared to participants who did not. The study population included adults with and without memory loss (analyzed separately). Any positive effects that were noted in the included trials were small, and no two trials found significant changes across the same neuropsychological tests.[2] A 2022 systematic review on the use of Bacopa for Alzheimer’s disease also reported no clinically meaningful differences with Bacopa monnieri treatment.[3] Moreover, many of the trials that do report cognitive benefits from Bacopa monnieri fail to adjust for multiple comparisons despite measuring a number of different outcomes,[4] and the cognitive tests that are used are not always appropriate for the population being studied.[5]
There is some preliminary research suggesting that Bacopa monnieri could have antidepressant and anxiolytic effects, possibly by reducing cortisol secretion and the depletion of dopamine and serotonin during chronic stress, but more research is needed to confirm this effect.[2][3]
Overall, the evidence for Bacopa monnieri is too heterogeneous to come to a firm conclusion about efficacy. It might improve some aspects of memory, cognition, and mood in certain people, but it could also have no substantial effects on any aspects of health.