Bacopa vs Ginkgo: Which to Choose and for Whom

“I need something for memory” — with such a request a person most often ends up choosing between bacopa and ginkgo. The right answer depends on age, goal, timeframe and the medications a person already takes. The editorial team examined real-life scenarios and explained which of the plants is more logical in each of them and what can be expected from it.

Three questions before the choice

The first question is how much time you have. In studies, bacopa showed an effect only after 8–12 weeks of daily intake. If an exam, a competition or an important project is already a week away, neither of the plants will give a noticeable result, and buying them “for an emergency” is pointless.

The second question is who you are and what exactly you want to improve. A healthy young person who studies a lot and an elderly person who notices that they have started forgetting names are different situations with different evidence bases. For the former, bacopa has more data; for the latter, ginkgo was historically studied, but here the first step should be a doctor.

The third question is medications. Ginkgo can interact with drugs affecting blood clotting, and bacopa — with agents that act on the nervous system and the thyroid gland. People who take such drugs should coordinate their choice with a doctor.

Having answered these questions, most people will see that the choice is obvious, and sometimes — that a supplement is not needed at all, because the problem is lack of sleep, stress or a deficiency of iron or vitamin B12.

For whom bacopa is more logical

Bacopa is an option for healthy adults who are ready to take a supplement for at least a few months and want to support the assimilation of new information. It is precisely on such a population that most randomized studies were conducted, in particular the work of Stough and colleagues (2001).

In clinical studies a standardized extract at a dose of about 300 mg per day was most often used (in some works — up to 450 mg). For a dietary supplement this is a reasonable reference point. It is better to take bacopa with food: this reduces the risk of nausea and cramps, and the fat-soluble components of the extract are absorbed better.

Some people note mild drowsiness, so some users move the intake to the evening. If, however, sluggishness appears during the day, it is worth changing the time of intake or reducing the dose.

Bacopa is not a stimulant, and people who expect a feeling of a “lift” as after coffee will most likely be disappointed by it. Its potential value lies in gradual, subtle changes that are better captured by tests than by feelings.

For whom ginkgo is more logical

The best data for ginkgo concern elderly people with already diagnosed cognitive impairment or dementia. In this group, the standardized extract EGb 761 gave a moderate symptomatic benefit in a number of studies. In Europe it is used as a herbal medicine for such indications.

The EMA monograph for the standardized dry extract of ginkgo leaves gives daily doses on the order of 120–240 mg, divided into several intakes. However, in this context what matters is not so much the dosage as the diagnosis: memory decline in old age may have causes that require entirely different treatment.

For healthy people of middle and older age who want to “prevent” dementia, the results of the large GEM and GuidAge studies were negative. That is, taking ginkgo for a preventive purpose is not supported by the evidence base.

For young healthy people, in particular athletes and students, ginkgo is unlikely to bring measurable benefit. The study by Solomon and colleagues (2002) found no improvement in memory even in healthy people over 60 years old.

How to assess whether the supplement works

The effects of nootropic plants are small, so a subjective impression is easily distorted by expectations. The editorial team advises a simple approach: before starting intake, take several standardized online tests of working memory and reaction speed and repeat them under the same conditions.

In parallel, it is worth recording sleep duration, stress level and caffeine consumption: these factors affect cognitive tests more strongly than any herbal supplement. If they have changed substantially, comparing the results loses meaning.

After 4 weeks it makes sense to assess tolerability: digestive disturbances, drowsiness, headache. After 8–12 weeks — repeat the tests. If there are no changes, it is more honest to stop taking it than to continue “just in case.”

For elderly people, the assessment should be carried out by a doctor using validated scales. Self-testing here can only be a supplement.

When neither should be taken

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding — there are insufficient safety data.
• Taking anticoagulants or antiplatelet agents, planned surgery — especially regarding ginkgo.
• Epilepsy and taking anticonvulsant drugs — only after consulting a neurologist.
• Sudden or rapidly progressing memory decline — an examination is needed, not a supplement.
• Children and adolescents — not without a doctor's prescription.

Also, one should not combine several nootropic complexes at the same time. Multi-component formulas often contain small doses of each ingredient, and the risk of interactions and side effects adds up.

Both plants are not on the WADA Prohibited List. Athletes should only choose products with independent certification to avoid contamination with stimulants, which are sometimes found in “nootropic” mixtures.

Finally, if the problem with concentration is related to chronic lack of sleep, no plant will solve it. Restoring the sleep regimen remains the most accessible and most effective “nootropic.”

Editorial conclusions

For healthy adults who study for a long time and are ready for prolonged intake, bacopa is the more logical option, but with realistic expectations: the effect is moderate and appears no sooner than after two months.

Ginkgo makes sense mainly for elderly people with already identified cognitive impairment and only at a doctor's decision. For prevention and for young people the evidence is insufficient.

For more on the active substances and mechanisms, read the article “Bacopa or Ginkgo: What's the Difference.” We also recommend our materials on L-tyrosine for mental work under stress and on alpha-GPC.

References

1. Stough C, Lloyd J, Clarke J, et al. The chronic effects of an extract of Bacopa monniera (Brahmi) on cognitive function in healthy human subjects. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2001;156(4):481–484.
2. Kongkeaw C, Dilokthornsakul P, Thanarangsarit P, et al. Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on cognitive effects of Bacopa monnieri extract. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014;151(1):528–535.
3. Pase MP, Kean J, Sarris J, et al. The cognitive-enhancing effects of Bacopa monnieri: a systematic review of randomized, controlled human clinical trials. J Altern Complement Med. 2012;18(7):647–652.
4. Solomon PR, Adams F, Silver A, et al. Ginkgo for memory enhancement: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2002;288(7):835–840.
5. DeKosky ST, Williamson JD, Fitzpatrick AL, et al. Ginkgo biloba for prevention of dementia: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2008;300(19):2253–2262.
6. Vellas B, Coley N, Ousset PJ, et al. Long-term use of standardised Ginkgo biloba extract for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease (GuidAge). Lancet Neurol. 2012;11(10):851–859.
7. European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. Community herbal monograph on Ginkgo biloba L., folium.