Cognitive Function & Memory

Jitesh Verma et al. (2025) · Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine

This 90-day randomized trial with 180 boys compared two classical Ayurvedic memory herbs, Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) and Mandookaparni (Centella asiatica, also known as Gotu Kola) head-to-head, using an individualized approach based on Ayurvedic constitution (Prakriti) — the framework describing a person's inborn balance of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, the three governing principles Ayurveda uses to explain bodily and mental tendencies. Both herbs belong to a class Ayurveda calls Medhya Rasayana, or intellect-enhancers, traditionally used to support learning and memory since antiquity. Boys aged 8-10 with a clearly dominant Prakriti type were randomly assigned to receive either Brahmi or Mandookaparni as a traditional honey-and-ghee electuary, 20 grams daily for 90 days. Memory was measured with the PGI-CMS (a 10-part children's memory scale covering things like recall, attention, and recognition), and IQ was estimated with a drawing-based test, both given before and after the 90-day period. Both herbs meaningfully improved memory: the Brahmi group improved on 9 of 10 memory subsets and total memory score rose about 9% (p<0.01 throughout), while the Mandookaparni group improved on 8 subsets plus attention, with total memory score rising about 13% (p<0.01). Head-to-head, Mandookaparni edged out Brahmi on remote memory, delayed recall, visual recognition, and overall memory score. The advantage was strongest in boys with a Pitta-dominant constitution, where Mandookaparni outperformed Brahmi on nearly every measure, while Vata- and Kapha-constitution boys showed little difference between the two herbs. No side effects were reported with either treatment. The findings suggest both herbs are safe and effective memory-enhancers in healthy children, with Mandookaparni showing a possible edge in retaining and recalling older information. Because the trial compared the two herbs directly rather than against a placebo, it cannot say how much benefit either provides over no treatment at all. The single-center, boys-only design also means the results may not generalize to girls or other populations, and the authors call for larger, multi-site trials.