An herbal formulation partially reversed age-linked brain changes
In nine adults aged 50 and older, three months of a fat-based Bacopa monnieri preparation partially reversed brain metabolite increases and improved auditory verbal learning.
Controlled
Limit: Only eight or nine people per arm in the intervention
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Healthy Indian adults were evaluated across three age cohorts: 37 younger adults aged 25 to 40, 28 middle-aged adults aged 41 to 55, and 31 older adults aged 56 to 85. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, researchers measured brain metabolites in the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, alongside neuropsychological tests. Concentrations of the metabolites tCho, tCr, mI, and tNAA were higher with age in both brain regions. Higher concentrations of tCho, tCr, and mI correlated inversely with auditory verbal learning, immediate recall, and delayed recall memory.
Participants aged 50 and older from these cohorts then received three months of an intervention: Brahmi Ghrita, a dietary fat-based Bacopa monnieri formulation (9 people); a Bacopa monnieri extract (9 people); or plain ghee (8 people). Preliminary post-intervention findings revealed that the dietary fat-based formulation of Bacopa monnieri partially reversed the increased concentrations of tCho, tCr, and mI, and improved auditory verbal learning and digit span forward cognitive performance.
Why it matters
Mapping chemical changes in the aging brain helps clarify how metabolic shifts relate to declining memory in healthy older adults. The authors suggest that this fat-based formulation of Bacopa monnieri could be a potential preventive intervention for the brain, especially in aging populations.
Caveats
The intervention findings are preliminary, lasted only three months, and evaluated very small groups of just eight or nine people per arm, while the age-group comparisons relied on cross-sectional data. The results also reflect healthy participants and may not apply to people with diagnosed cognitive disorders.
The paper
University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology
Neurochemistry International, May 7, 2026
