The short answer
Brahmi Ghrita is cow's ghee cooked with fresh brahmi juice and a paste of ten other herbs. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India lists it for epilepsy, mental illness, memory loss, weak intellect, speech and voice problems, infertility and skin disease. One of its herbs is danti root, which Indian drug rules place on Schedule E(1), the list of poisonous substances, so packs must say 'to be taken under medical supervision'.
In one study of 72 older adults with mild memory problems, people who took Brahmi Ghrita, did yoga, or both, all improved on memory tests over eight weeks; the combination did best on some. Nobody was left untreated, and groups were not chosen at random. Brahmi has its own pages on epilepsy medicines and sedatives. If you take either, tell your prescribing doctor first.
What is in it
The official recipe is in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I (2003), entry 6:32 Brahmi Ghrta, printed page 93.[1]
| Ingredient | Botanical name | Part used | Proportion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brahmi juice | Bacopa monnieri | Whole plant, fresh juice | 1.536 l |
| Ghrita (cow's ghee) | - | - | 768 g |
| Shunthi (dry ginger) | Zingiber officinale | Rhizome | 12 g |
| Marica (black pepper) | Piper nigrum | Fruit | 12 g |
| Pippali (long pepper) | Piper longum | Fruit | 12 g |
| Shyama (krishna trivrit, dark trivrit) | - | Root | 12 g |
| Trivrit (shveta trivrit, white trivrit) | Ipomoea turpethum | Root | 12 g |
| Danti | Baliospermum montanum | Root | 12 g |
| Shankhapushpi | Convolvulus pluricaulis | Whole plant | 12 g |
| Nripadruma (aragvadha) | Cassia fistula | Pericarp | 12 g |
| Saptala | Euphorbia pilosa | Whole plant | 12 g |
| Krimihara (vidanga) | Embelia ribes | Fruit | 12 g |
Quantities are for one batch, from the printed 2003 edition. The ten herbs are ground into a paste and cooked into the ghee with the juice. Makers' recipes can differ, so check the label.[1]
Classical source
The formulary takes the recipe from the Ashtanga Hridaya, Uttara Sthana, chapter 6, verses 23 and 24.[1]
What it is used for
- The formulary lists it for apasmara (epilepsy), unmada (mental illness), smritikshaya (loss of memory), buddhi daurbalya (weak intellect) and vakswara bhanga (impaired speech and voice).[1]
- It also lists vandhyatva (infertility) and kushtha (skin diseases).[1]
What the evidence says
Controlled trialSeventy-two older adults (average age 63) with mild cognitive impairment, early problems with memory and thinking, took Brahmi Ghrita (23 people), did integrated yoga (25), or both (24), for eight weeks. All three groups improved on most tests. The combined group did better than either alone on verbal learning and a working-memory test (for example, verbal learning hits F(2,69) = 4.376, p < 0.016). Groups were not randomised and there was no untreated group, so the study cannot show how much of the change came from the ghrita.[3]
Safety notes
- Contains danti root. Danti is on Schedule E(1) of the Drugs Rules, the list of poisonous substances in Ayurvedic medicine, so packs must carry the words 'Caution: to be taken under medical supervision' in English and Hindi.[2]
- Brahmi, the main herb, has its own interaction pages. See Brahmi and epilepsy medicines, Brahmi and sedatives, and Brahmi and thyroid medicines.
- Contains black pepper and pippali. Because the formulary lists epilepsy among its uses, see also Pippali and phenytoin, an epilepsy medicine.
- Our search for side-effect reports and regulator alerts on this product is not complete. Finding none so far is not a sign that it is harmless.
Who makes it
Sold in India by makers including Patanjali (Divya), Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala, Baidyanath. We list names so you can match your bottle to this page. We do not recommend or sell any brand.
Withheld until review
Questions people ask
Is Brahmi Ghrita the same as brahmi tablets or capsules?
No. It is ghee cooked with brahmi juice and ten other herbs, including danti and two kinds of trivrit. Studies of brahmi extract capsules did not test it.[1]
Can children take Brahmi Ghrita?
We do not give advice on children until our vaidya has reviewed this page. Ask the vaidya who prescribed it. It contains danti, which by law must be labelled for use under medical supervision.[2]
Related
Brahmi and epilepsy medicines
Not tested in people. In rats, a brahmi extract raised carbamazepine levels about fourfold, and carbamazepine and phenytoin have a narrow safe range.
InteractionBrahmi and sedatives or sleeping pills
Not tested in people. In lab tests brahmi slowed enzymes that clear some sedatives, so the effect on drowsiness is unknown.
InteractionPippali, black pepper and phenytoin
Piperine, the compound in pippali and black pepper, raised phenytoin blood levels in two small Indian studies. Phenytoin has a narrow safe range.
FormulationSaraswata Churna
A vaca-based powder the formulary lists for epilepsy and mania. One study of ten people, with no comparison group, is all the human evidence we found.
Sources
- Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, 2nd revised English edition, 2003. Brahmi Ghrta, 6:32, printed page 93.
- Central Drugs Standard Control Organization. The Drugs Rules, 1945 (2022 compilation). Rule 161(2) and Schedule E(1), list of poisonous substances under the Ayurvedic system, which includes Danti.
- Chobe S, Patra SK, Chobe M, Metri K. Efficacy of Integrated Yoga and Ayurveda Rasayana on cognitive functions in elderly with mild cognitive impairment: non-randomized three-arm clinical trial. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2022;13(1):100373. PMID 33349568.
Updated 4 November 2026
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