Brahmi

These are the questions our naturopaths ask in store about brahmi. There's no TGA-permitted health claim for this herb, so we can't tell you what it's for. What we can do is help you read the label, and raise the question that matters most: how brahmi gets on with an antidepressant.

A good fit if

• You're an adult buying it for yourself, and you've read the label of the product in your hand
• You know brahmi and bacopa are the same herb, and you want to check the botanical name before you buy
• You're happy to bring your list of medicines to us first, rather than starting and hoping for the best

Check with us first if

• You take an antidepressant. A review of 1,816 reports of side effects found adaptogens involved in 9% of those reported alongside antidepressants, and it names Bacopa monnieri with agomelatine and moclobemide, including a heart attack with moclobemide (Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2023). We found no TGA advice either way, so this is a conversation to have with a person, not a web page.
• You take prescription medicine of any kind. The same review explains that side effects can add together, and that the herb can affect the liver enzymes and transporters that clear many medicines from your body.
• You're pregnant or breastfeeding. We found no Australian position on brahmi in pregnancy, and no evidence of harm isn't the same as a green light.
• You're thinking about brahmi for a child. Australia's permitted ingredients list sets no age limit for it (item 754) either way, and we found nothing to base an answer on.
• If you take prescription medicine, check with your doctor, pharmacist or our naturopaths before you start.

If any of these sound like you, talk to one of our naturopaths or your doctor before you start.

• If you take an antidepressant. A retrospective review of 1,816 side-effect reports found 30 with a causal link to an adaptogen taken alongside an antidepressant, and it names Bacopa monnieri with agomelatine and moclobemide (Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2023).
• Any prescription medicine. That review puts it down to side effects adding together, plus blocking of CYP enzymes and p-glycoprotein, which affects how many medicines are cleared from the body.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. We found no Australian safety position for brahmi, so its safety is unanswered rather than cleared.
• Children. The list sets no age limit for item 754, and we found no evidence in children, so there's no basis for a dose or an age.
• If you're expecting the label to tell you what brahmi is for. It can't, because we found no permitted indication tied to it.