When you think about boosting your brain power wellness, Indian herbs and French pine trees don’t exactly spring to mind, but Melbourne researcher Professor Con Stough of Swinburne University’s Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, is hoping to change all that. In his government-funded study, Stough is examining whether these, and B vitamin, supplements improve cognition in 500 healthy over 65s.
For the study, the first group will take a herb used in traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine for improving memory, known as Bacopa monniera or brahmi. According to Stough, research has already shown that this herb improves cognitive wellbeing in younger people, and the Centre will soon begin a trial of Bacopa with children with ADHD in Australia and India.
He explained, ‘We’re starting to get good evidence that Bacopa is helpful for the brain. Unlike drugs which tend to have a potent but single action, herbs often have multiple actions and we think Bacopa does a few different things. It has a strong antioxidant effect which may help remove the beta-amyloid plaques thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. It also has a strong anti-inflammatory effect and appears to improve blood flow to the brain.’
He continued, ‘It’s not clear how Pycnogenol works, but one theory is that it’s by improving blood flow to the brain,’ which is why group two in the Swinburne study will be taking Pycnogenol. This patented extract from the bark of French maritime pine has shown itself to be a potentially beneficial mineral, as in a pilot study of 100 healthy 60 to 85-year-olds Pycnogenol improved working memory.
The third group will be taking B vitamins with other nutrients, to see whether these may also improve the functionality of older brains. Stough explained, ‘As we get older our levels of B vitamins diminish, although it’s not clear whether this is an effect of ageing, diet or both, but a British study from Cambridge University showed that vitamin B12 improved brain shrinkage. There’s also emerging evidence that vitamins B6 and B12 may help reduce blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.’
However, before you go rushing off to load up on these brain pills, remember that research still needs to confirm that these supplements work, and you should also bear in mind that whilst many Bacopa pills exist, only a few have been studied. Yet it seems that something does need to be done, and sooner rather than later, in order to prevent dementia. Stough warns that ‘the brain changes that lead to dementia can start decades before there are signs of memory loss which means much of the damage has already been done,’ and starting to take measures as early as possible, such as being physically active and keeping blood pressure healthy, are a good start.
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