It’s a pleasant day to talk about the different health benefits of waterhyssop.
Waterhyssop is an herb used for traditional medicine. In particular, Ayurveda. It’s also called Bacopa Monnieri, Water Hyssop, Brahmi, Thyme-Leafed Gratiola, Herb Of Grace, Indian Pennywort, and Bacopa.
This is a list of the health benefits of waterhyssop.
1. Waterhyssop Helps With Skin Health
Waterhyssop is traditionally used to treat wounds.
It can speed up the healing, disinfect, and even reduce scarring.
2. May Help Prevent Anxiety And Stress
Waterhyssop is considered to be adaptogenic.
This means that helps your body in resisting stress.
It’s documented in this study (Adaptogenic effect of Bacopa monniera).
Waterhyssop reduces anxiety and stress by reducing cortisol levels. Cortisol is linked to stress levels.
3. Waterhyssop May Help Manage Blood Sugar Levels
Consuming waterhyssop may help improve your blood sugar levels.
According to this study (Antidiabetic and In Vivo Antioxidant Activity of Ethanolic Extract of Bacopa monnieri), rats who were given waterhyssop extracts showed a significant decrease in blood glucose levels.
4. Contains Antioxidants
According to this study (A Review on the Antioxidant and Therapeutic Potential of Bacopa monnieri), waterhyssop contains antioxidants.
Antioxidants help fight free radicals that cause damage to your organs that can lead to chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
Waterhyssop has active compounds called bacosides that have antioxidant effects on the body, especially on the brain.
This study (Neuroprotective effects of Bacopa monnieri in experimental model of dementia) suggests that it helped treat rats with dementia.
5. Waterhyssop Has Antimicrobial Qualities
Several studies suggest that waterhyssop has antimicrobial qualities that can inhibit E. coli, H. pylori, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus (staph) Vibro cholera.
It even has antifungal qualities as well as it can interact against black mold and Candida.
6. May Help Reduce Blood Pressure Levels
Several animal studies showed that waterhyssop can help reduce blood pressure levels.
In this study (Bacopa monnieri and its constituents is hypotensive) conducted on rats, researchers noticed reduced diastolic and systolic blood pressure levels.
This was caused by nitric oxide being released thus dilating the blood vessels. In effect, it improved the flow of blood which then lowers blood pressure.
More common food that can help reduce blood pressure levels is oats. You can check my article about the health benefits of oats here.
7. Waterhyssop Is Good For The Gut
In traditional medicine, the juice of the leaves of waterhyssop is used to treat constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and other stomach disorders.
A study conducted on rats also showed that this herb has anti-ulcer effects.
8. Has Anti-inflammatory Qualities
Different studies like this (Bacopa monnieri (L.) exerts anti-inflammatory effects on cells) will tell you that waterhyssop helps reduce inflammations.
It’s able to reduce the release of molecules that stimulate an inflammatory response.
Other studies even say that the herb’s effects are comparable to diclofenac and indomethacin. These are just 2 nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the market.
9. Waterhyssop Helps Relieve Pain
Besides having anti-inflammatory qualities, waterhyssop was also found to have analgesic effects.
It’s been used to traditionally treat various types of pain.
10. May Improve Brain Functions
Waterhyssop was observed by researchers to help improve attention, memory, and visual information processing.
According to a 12-week study (The chronic effects of an extract of Bacopa monniera), adults who took waterhyssop supplementation showed better learning rate and memory compared to the placebo group.
11. Waterhyssop May Help Protect The Liver
Waterhyssop can help cleanse the liver of toxins.
In an animal study (Potential Effect of Bacopa monnieri on Nitrobenzene Induced Liver Damage in Rats), the herb showed hepaprotective effects on rats induced with liver damage.
Although more studies should be done if it’s as effective for humans, this still has the potential to be a natural detoxifier that can help protect your liver.
12. May Help Reduce Symptoms Of ADHD
Consuming waterhyssop may help reduce ADHD symptoms like being unattentive, restlessness, and poor self-control.
You can read more about this research on “Bacopa monnieri extract in the management of symptoms of attention.”
However, it’s cited that more studies should still be conducted on this before it can be accepted as a treatment.
13. Waterhyssop Is Good For Respiratory Health
In Ayurveda, waterhyssop is used to treat certain respiratory conditions like bronchitis, chest colds, congestion, and blocked sinuses.
It can remove excess mucus and phlegm and also relieve inflammations in the throat and respiratory tracts.
Conclusion
These are just some of the different health benefits of waterhyssop.
Most of these are related to improving the health of the brain. But for me, its anti-inflammatory qualities are best suited for my arthritis condition.
Additional benefits won’t hurt having.
What health benefit of waterhyssop do you need the most or like?
To be safe always, make sure to inquire first with your doctor or medical professional if you can consume waterhyssop.
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Thank you!