JANUARY 26, 2011 CALL IT WEED, POT, OR SMOKE

~ A little wine sometimes, that's all. Spirits are bad. Alcohol wrong. Herb does grow. ~

~ Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction. ~

~ When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself. ~

All three quotes on the 'herb' are from Bob Marley. From the three I get the feeling that Mr. Marley was not a drinker but a smoker. I feel that every baby boomer has tried marijuana at least once. Every one gets a different effect from this herb. I know individuals who still smoke marijuana daily. I know people who haven't smoked since their college years. I know people in their late 80' and 90's who enjoy puffing a joint for their glaucoma. Is marijuana as addictive as alcohol or cocaine ? Does it help with the introverted personality? Do people ever get paranoid after smoking? What about the munchies?


Cannabis, also known as marijuana (sometimes spelled "marihuana" ) among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug. The major psychoactive chemical compoundin cannabis is Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (commonly abbreviated as THC). Cannabis contains more than 400 different chemical compounds, including at least 66 other cannabinoids (cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN) and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), etc.) which can result in different effects from those of THC alone.

Cannabis is one of the earliest cultivated plants. Cannabis has much versatility. It has been used as food, fuel, fiber, medicine and as a religious sacrament. Today, cannabis is used by inhalation. All other routes of administration have been used from anal to oromucosal delivery. Historically, cannabis has been used in various ways. There are three main forms and named by their Indian names

1. Bhang - seeded mix of flower tops
2. Ganja - seedless unfertilized female flower tops
3. Charas - resin from sifted flowers ( also known as hashish)

The use of cannabis has been found to have occurred as long ago as the third millennium B.C. I did not find any mention of marijuana in the Bible according to James Duke's book, Medicinal Plants of the Bible. In modern times, the drug has been used for recreational, religious or spiritual, and medicinal purposes .

The question is should cannabis be legalized? It is legal in 13 states. I am undecided on this issue. I need to study the literature in detail and listen to the pros and cons about its use. One name that always surfaces in the use of cannabis is Ethan Russo, MD. Dr. Russo is a board certified child and adult neurologist in Montana. He also is a researcher in migraine, ethnobotany, medicinal plants, cannabis and cannabinoids in pain management. I have seen web sites touting the good effects of marijuana. In the 1990's, Dr Ethan Russo spent two months in Peru's remote Manu National Park, researching use of medicinal plants by members of the Machiguenga tribes. His boundless energy based on his work, books and teachings makes me look like a snail. I admire his dedication.

Russo jokingly calls himself a "renaissance dilettante" because he is an expert participant in an eclectic variety of scientific and socio cultural endeavors. He has written a book about the medicinal uses of psychotropic herbs. Although this Handbook is more than 10 years old, it is a good foundation if you want to learn about psychotropic herbs.

He is the founder of the Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics. I have seen the journal and even read a couple of articles. I am not well versed on cannabis but was very impressed. The journal is the most scholarly, comprehensive and timely compendium of cannabis research available to date. It contains scientific, historical and interpretive reports on medical marijuana, cannabis lore, legal issues, cannabis literature, and social/cultural aspects of cannabis use and regulation. He is a pioneer. He states, "My opinion about the efficacy and relative safety of cannabis is widely known, since I've made no secret of my feelings the last few years." He is clear and concise about his opinions.

Cannabis used medically does have several well-documented beneficial effects. Among these are: the amelioration of nausea and vomiting, stimulation of hunger in chemotherapy and AIDS patients, lowered intraocular eye pressure (shown to be effective for treating glaucoma), as well as general analgesic effects (pain reliever). There are other studies to document medicinal use. One study on cannabis discussed improvement in night blindness after ingestion of cannabis while another study cited effective improvement in Rheumatoid Arthritis. We do know that cannabis smoking is detrimental to periodontal health.

Cannabis was manufactured and sold by U.S. pharmaceutical companies from the 1880s through the 1930s. Unfortunately the lack of documented information on the frequency and effectiveness of its use during this time period makes it difficult to evaluate its medicinal value. There are more studies today which can answer the question.

The first President and the sixteenth president of the United States said this about marijuana:

"Make the most you can of the Indian hemp seed and sow it everywhere." - George Washington

"Two of my favorite things are sitting on my front porch smoking a pipe of sweet hemp, and playing my Hohner harmonica." - Abe Lincoln

SHOULD MARIJUANA BE LEGAL IN ALL STATES?

Top photograph: Ethan Ross, MD

Until tomorrow...

JANUARY 25, 2011 YOU ARE MY SONSHINE -HAPPY 21ST

A man's desire for a son is usually nothing but the wish to duplicate himself in order that such a remarkable pattern may not be lost to the world. ~Helen Rowland

A boy is a magical creature - you can lock him out of your workshop, but you can't lock him out of your heart. ~Allan Beck



On January 25, 1990, a boy was born who happen to weigh in at greater than 9 lbs. He was named Gregory Patrick Fratellone. The relationship of a son towards both of his parents can be very complex. I know there he has a close bond with his mother. In the last few years I have also found that close bond. Having a son was the second greatest joy I have ever experienced. The first was having a daughter. It is written that sons can be one of the greatest challenges. In this case, I disagree. I tried to balance the need to offer some freedom to Gregory especially when he started at Northeastern University in Boston.
As a father I want what is best for him and I want to see good in all that he does. I have not been disappointed many times.
As I sit so early and write this to my son on his 21st Birthday my heart is swelled with love and I am crying tears of joy. It is hard to believe that he is twenty one. He is legal for a glass of wine, but that happened long ago. I am so sorry both sets of grandparents are not physically here , but all reside in his heart and are with him every step of the way.
I know he knows who he really is inside, and I do not think he tosses the idea of "where he will be in a few years." He has direction. I know his answer comes from the heart. He is not much unlike me. As a boy he looked like me. During his teen years he had features of both mom and dad. Today, I still feel he looks like me.
I will always stand by your side in good times and bad times. Remember my shoulder is always here for you to lean on no matter how old you are. I am so overwhelmed at your achievements as well as your sister's. Life has not been easy. The 52 card deck was cut, shuffled and mixed up, but all in all things didn't turn out all that bad.
There are many memories I could share. Some are our private ones. One memory is that the most consistent thing you and I have done in your twenty one years is that both of us grew up with Harry Potter. Harry and Gregory will always hold a special place in my heart.

I want you to remember this--Always be true to yourself. I will always be there to guide you if you need my help. Always remember that life is what you make of it.

Son, you outgrew my lap, but never my heart. Happy 21st Birthday. Until we see each other may God hold you in the palms of his hands.

JANUARY 24, 2011 AN INTOXICATING PLANT: THE POPPY

Among the remedies which it has pleased Almighty God to give to man to relieve his sufferings, none is so universal and so efficacious as opium.
Thomas Sydenham

Everything one does in life, even love, occurs in an express train racing toward death. To smoke opium is to get out of the train while it is still moving. It is to concern oneself with something other than life or death.
Jean Cocteau

While reading Baron Ernst Von Bibra book, " Plant Intoxicants" late last night I began to think about the use and misuse of drugs. Can any drug be the universal drug for pain and suffering. Who wouldn't want to take a drug that would end all their pain ? Many people would want a drug. How many us at one time in our lives have used drugs ? I do not think that a single person can say they haven't used at least one drug. There might be a few older people that have not used illicit drugs, however he/she may have been prescribed a pain killer after an operation or a visit to the dentist. Drugs have been part of cultures for thousands of years.

I love what Salvador Dali answered when asked that question. He said,
" I don't use drugs. I am drugs."

One of the best Chinese proverbs about drugs is:
It is easy to get a thousand prescriptions but hard to get one single remedy.

The drug marijuana has been legalized in thirteen States. New York is not one of those states and I do not think it ever will be. There are many opinions about the use of marijuana. I know some people are trying to legalize marijuana because of the medicinal purposes. Some of their very lives and their pain levels depends on these drugs. If you were in that situation wouldn't you want to legalize the drug. I see people suffer from devastating diseases. I do want anyone to suffer with a disease or watch the disease ravage their bodies. If I could ease their pain, I will. I will turn to an opium derivative.

Yet I have heard of some people doing real hard prison time for carrying a small bag of marijuana. In history there are plenty of people who gave used drugs for a good purpose and some even use drugs to keep their jobs. When does social drug use become an addiction ? Is there such an entity as social cocaine or LSD use? If you have control issues in your personal life, you would not a good candidate to using drugs. There are people using cocaine, crack, ecstasy, heroin, opium, methamphetamines, LSD, psylocibin, peyote, PCP, amphetamines, uppers, Ketamine and downers. Some are happy about their use and some wish they had never touched the stuff. I have seen drugs end lives. Very famous people have used drugs over the years. Some of those people had wished they never started using drugs, and some feel they could not live without drugs. Would a painting by Dali be a painting without hashish ? Would Bela Lugosi been a great Dracula without his morphine and opium ? Would Miss Tallulah Bankhead been so witty without cocaine? I could go on and on. Drugs are part of our culture.

Hallucinogens have been part and parcel of man's cultural baggage for thousands of years. The hallucinogenic or psychoactive plants have been of great significance in the ideology and religious practices of a wide variety of peoples the world over, and in some traditional cultures continue to play such a role today. The native peoples of South America, alone utilized nearly a hundred different botanical species for their psychoactive properties, not counting scores of plants used for the brewing of alcoholic beverages to induce ritual intoxication. Many people are shocked by the idea that experiences resembling religious experiences can be produced by drugs.

I was amazed to discover that Papaver somniferum (Opium) is mentioned in the Bible. While reading James Duke's Medicinal Plants of the Bible, opium is not directly mentioned, but James Duke believes that the biblical gall was opium.
" They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof he would not drink." Matthew 27:34 (King James Version) The gall added to the vinegar and thus given to Jesus was the juice of the opium poppy.
Opium is the air-dried milky exudate obtained from the excised unripe fruits. The seeds contain no opium and are used in cooking and baking. Although the poppy seeds on a bagel contain no narcotic alkaloid, a urinalysis following their ingestion may lead to a false positive urine test for opiods. Although only into 50 or so pages from the book, The History of Opium I am able to discuss some basic opium facts.
The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is a native of Greece and Turkey. The opium poppy has a long history in China. The trade of this drug has had an immense political impact on that country. The author tells how 18th-century British farmers were given medals and cash rewards for pioneering high-yield methods of growing the opium poppy. Opium has yielded possibly the most effective pain killer of the day. It was fine the Wicked Witch of the West to put Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow in a deep sleep in the 1939 Wizard of Oz. It is fascinating to read of early advances in cultivation. Through the centuries of morphine, laudanum and heroin use, I begin to understand its impact and even reflect on the human costs of the recreational use of opium drugs today. If you do not think we have a drug problem in the United States, you are out of the loop and totally wrong.


Will the new Dali film show him smoking the drug, hashish. As of January 22, 2011 it has been discussed that the 45 year old Scottish actor , Alan Cumming is to play the eccentric Spanish artist Salvador Dali in a new £10 million 3D biopic. Until now there has been no film solely devoted to the great Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali.
I find it appropriate that the movie will be in 3D, a dimension that Dali himself loved. The love affair which began between Salvador Dali and the poet Federico García Lorca was seen on the silver screen in 2009's, Little Ashes. The setting was in The Residencia de Estudiantes, or Students' Residence, a modern environment which encouraged Spain's brightest young minds. Dali and Lorca were two of those brightest minds. How much of Lorca will be seen in the new Dali screen is yet to be determined. I have been fascinated with Dali from a young age. It is the one artist that I can freely discuss in a conversation with some authority. I was totally surprised this holiday by Rick who gave me a 1939 New World's Fair Russia Exhibition postcard signed by the genius himself, Salvador Dali. There is one fact that many do not know about Dali ? He wrote and illustrated a cookbook called Les Dinners de Galla
My own chef, Rick, has a copy given by the semi-Daliesque authority, Me.

Hollywood made no mistake by casting Mr Cumming in this role.

Until tomorrow...

JANUARY 23, 2011 New York Botanical Gardens

" Life is short,and we never have too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us. Oh, be swift to love, make haste to be kind!" - Henri Frederic Amiel

You own soul is nourished when you are kind,but you destroy yourself when you are cruel. Proverbs 11:17


Kindness is something we never have enough of. I have learned through hard lessons of my own, to be kind to unkind people--because they need it the most. I have also learned that hatred and anger are powerless when met with kindness. My mother used to say when she saw me upset about 'the little things' Kill them with kindness. The word powerless is a powerful word. In a twelve step program you learn about powerless. I am powerless over alcohol...I am powerless over food...I am powerless over drugs and my life is unmanageable. Well, I am powerless over unkind people. We all have met unkind people. For example, in a small community on a small island, you will find many unkind individuals. There are unkind individuals everywhere. In the same respect you will find many kind individuals. Stick with the kind . When I see faults and unkindess around me, I become blind and become a little kinder. Kindness never hurt anyone. When was the last time you were kind to someone? It cost you nothing to be kind. Washington Irving sums up kindness in this quote, " A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles."


Yesterday two friends who happen to be life partners went on a journey. The journey was a 15 minute Harlem Line Metro North train ride to the New York Botanical Gardens.
Have you ever visited the Botanical Gardens. If not, let me inspire you.

The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) is one of the premier botanical gardens in the United States, located in the Bronx in New York City. It spans some 250 acres (100 ha) of Bronx Park and is home to some of the world's leading plant laboratories. More than 1 million people visit the Gardens every year. You would think that in a coild winter day you wouldn't enjoy the Gardens. Wrong !

New York Botanical Garden is an advocate for the plant kingdom. The conservatory welcomes you with this " A World of Plants "The Garden pursues its mission through its role as a museum of living plant collections arranged in gardens and landscapes across its National Historic Landmark site and through its comprehensive education programs in horticulture and plant science.

So being a friend/partner means he/she accepts US as WE are, yet helps US to BE what WE should be. He finds Watson 203 for a Digital Photography Class, while I find the exhibit on Carribean Fauna and Flora. We meet later at The Shop for sipping the tea and shopping for plants. Well, maybe not plants in this cold, but for books.

The history of the Gardens is grand as the Gardens itself. The Lorillard Family owned most of the land which became The New York Botanical Garden. That land and adjacent acreage was acquired by the City of New York and set aside for the creation of a zoo and botanical garden. The Garden was founded in 1891 on part of the grounds of the Lorillard Estate, formerly owned by the tobacco magnate Pierre Lorillard. The Garden's creation followed a fund-raising campaign led by the Torrey Botanical Club and Columbia University botanist Nathaniel Lord Britton and his wife Elizabeth Knight who were inspired to emulate the Royal Botanic Gardens in London. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1967. Visit www.nybg.com

Become a member and enjoy the benefits of membership through exhibits, education classes, and bringing your friends.

Since I love history and I love plants, I wanted a new book that a History of a Plant. Do I need a new book? No, I do not. My Botanical Latin book arrived yesterday in time for my Botanical Latin course sponsored of course by the New York Botanical Gardens. The Shop at the Gardens had my Botanical Latin text in the course section, but to the left was a book titled, 'Plant Intoxicants' A Classic Text on the Use of Mind-Altering Plants. My left hand reached up and my mind said yes. It is a pioneering study of psychoactive plants and their role in society. It was initially published in 1855, and the first book to examine the cultivation, preparation and consumption of the world's major stimulants. So I will read and tell you about in the future, Paullinia sorbilis (Guarana), Datura fastuosa
( Thoranapple), and Erythroxylon coca (Coca). Yet, the plant and its flower that has always fascinated me is Papaver somniferum - The Poppy. This plant unlike any other played the most important role in the history of narcotics, of trade and even mankind. So, I had to find a book on the Poppy. Two books away from Plant Intoxicants was ' The History of Opium.' So there is was. This second book touched my left hand and it guided me to the cash register.

The photographer and the student went home in bliss, happiness and love.

The End


Photo Credit: Rick Byrd

Until tomorrow...

JANUARY 22, 2011 DO YOU EVER DISCUSS SEX ?

"The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart." - Elisabeth Foley


Since a true friend can also be your partner and in many instances is, this quote is wonderful for a loving, nurturing relationship. I feel that a relationship lasts longer with open communication and the ability to grow separately without growing apart. A true relationship whether with your friend or partner should allow for each individual's growth. If that growth leads to growing apart, then were you ever a true friend to that person? I have some friends that I haven't seen in years, however when we have the opportunity to get together, it feels as if we never grew apart or we never said goodbye. I know these are rare instances but they do occur.

When two people communicate rarely is the topic of sex discussed. The upcoming February issue of OUT changes that with three pages of 115 questions posted and answered by 1000 individuals (92% Gay, 7% bisexual and 1% questioning). You may be saying is he going to discuss sex. The answer is yes. Why? Because no one does, at least not the doctors I know. It is so important for you to discuss your sexual practices with your doctor. Not only your sexual practices, but the do and don'ts, your fears, drinking during sex, other habits during sex and just plain sex.

The oddest response to me were to the question "strangest place you've ever had sex"
This question unlike many of the others is not gay oriented. I do not care how old you are, or what your sexual orientation. You can answer some of the questions. It might even trigger some old desires that you thought were gone. The happiest couples I have seen whether straight or gay have been in those that have some type of intimacy. I do not expect my 83 year old couple from NJ to be having sex. I do expect that some type of intimacy must exist. The next question is the definition of sex. The definition of having sex has changed since I was a teenager. I am sure the Presidency of President Clinton changed the term "sex" forever. I wonder if 8th grade history classes discuss this topic.

SOME STATISTICS:

Some of the percentages are surprising. For example on 'cheating' - 68% have been cheated on; 51% have cheated and 60% have had sex with someone who was in a straight relationship at that time.

Alcohol is part of society and relationships. Sometimes drinking is the bond that holds a relationship together. Not everyone drinks.
24% drink most or every time they have sex, while 23% never do

The Internet has not helped with communication between couples in a relationship as 82% look at free porn sites, while 18% pay for it.

I was delighted to read that across all age groups (18-25; 26-35; 36-45; 46-55; 55-65)
the average percentage of condom use always/mostly is about 75%. It could be better. I would have liked to see a percentage for those from 14-18.

The percentage for 'coming out' is interesting by geographic areas within the United States.

Where is the strangest place you have had sex? You can answer this question. I do not care how old you are or your sexual lifestyle. I do not know if some of these answers are real or there for the 'shock factor'. I did expect to read in an airplane bathroom, or in a car. I didn't expect to read the following:
1. Between moving subway cars
2. The ruins of Pompeii
3. Home Depot Bathroom
4. On a Field with cows
5. A gutter

I am sure the magazines Cosmopolitan, G Q or perhaps the Ladies Home Journal have published some statistics.
It is a laid back Saturday...
Until tomorrow...

JANUARY 21, 2011 THE REPUTATION OF PERIWINKLE

" Reputation grows like a mushroom; character grows like an oak"

I was thinking how to discuss one's reputation and plants. I found the quote above which sums up the solid firm hard character as should an oak tree.
I can change the quote to 'reputation comes over one from without and character grows up from within.'
There is always a comparison between one's reputation and one's character. In my life I had a bad spell where my reputation was blackened or marked. This was before I decided to live my life by a twelve step program and a Higher Power. Benjamin Franklin stated that ' Glass, china and reputation are easily cracked and never well mended.' I do not know if that is completely true. I feel that any one's reputation may be repaired, but rest to sure that people keep an eye on where it was cracked. This was true with some of my colleagues at a rough time in my life. I might have done the same if I was on the other end. But after some amount of time, I feel people should stop looking at the place it cracked. With almost 17 years of continuous sobriety I have to the best of my ability changed. At this point I cannot worry or fret about what people think of me. I know who and what I am. Perhaps I do so much in my life to continually polish up my reputation. I feel we need to lend some slack to people who are trying to change their lives. I had an older Chief of Medicine once tell me and in writing that 'recovery never happens to someone with an addiction.' That is a harsh statement and I totally disagree. Many men would turn over a new leaf if they could tear out some of the old pages. I do not want to tear out the old pages. These old pages keep it green for me every day. I do not dwell on the old pages, but look upon them with a different view. Think about your own reputation. How did a crack in your reputation change your thoughts on life?

I want my reputation to have a little touch of periwinkle. Periwinkle is a magnificent color. It is also the common name for the Vinca plants. Derived from these plants are two chemotherapy drugs, vinblastine and vincristine. There is also another derivative that is never discussed--vinpocetine.

Vinpocetine, a vincamine derivative, is a synthetic ethyl ester of apovincamine. Vincamine is an extract of periwinkle (Vinca minor). Vinpocetine has been widely used and studied in Europe for over 25 years, but is not well known in the United States. Based on animal and clinical studies vinpocetine has been recommended as a treatment for stroke in Hungary, Poland, Germany, Russia, and Japan. However, a recently published meta-analysis does not support the assumption that vinpocetine can decrease the morbidity and mortality in acute stroke. Studies have shown that vinpocetine has the following pharmacological and biological actions: enhancement of brain circulation and oxygen utilization, increased brain tolerance of hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) and ischemia (blood deficiency), anticonvulsant activity, inhibitory effect on phosphodiesterase (an enzyme), improvement in blood flow and inhibition of platelet aggregation
Today there are many 'memory formulas' that add vinpocetine to their other ingredients. Some of the other ingredients are amino acids as acety L-carnitine and phosphatidyserine and phosphotidyl choline. Vinpocetine can be used as a single agent.
There are studies from 2000-2003 that researched the use of vinpocetine in cognitive function and memory impairment. The authors from these studies conclude that vinpocetine may slow the disease process and decrease its incidence if taken during the 'window of opportunity' between mild cognitive impairment and the development of senile dementia or Alzheimer's disease. This was concluded because all three studies suggest that during treatment with vinpocetine there was a significant improvement in cognitive function of patients suffering from dementia or other symptoms of cerebrovascular disease. The studies demonstrated safety and the absence of serious adverse events.
I have not seen recent studies on vinpocetne. I know more studies are needed, but since there is no harm or adverse effects I would not discourage its use.

When I think of reputation I often think of a poem my Aunt Bev sent me after my father died. It reads

You got it from your father,
It was all he had to give.
So it's yours to use and cherish,
For as long as you may live

If you lose the watch he gave you,
It can always be replaced.
But a black mark on your name , son
Can never be erased.

It was clean the day you took it,
And a worthy name to bear.
When he got it from his father
There was no dishonor there.

So make sure you guard it wisely,
After all is said and done.
You'll be glad the name is spotless
When you give it to your son.

One day it will make a lovely cross stitch or needle point.

Thanks, Dad
Until tomorrow...

JANUARY 20, 2011 BACOPA - WHAT IS THIS?

" A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even if you are half-cracked"

"A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out " - Grace Pulpit

Friends are an important aspect of one's life. I believe that if you have one handful of true friends you are a lucky person. . If you have a partner, husband, wife or a true friend you can ask these types of questions of these people. There are many questions we ask ourselves on an every day basis as stated below
" How much time do we spend postponing enjoying our lives? How often do we say we will really be happy when we retire? Do we spend most of the winter talking and thinking about the summer place we have rented at the beach? Do we think that everyone will be alright as long as we save up a particular sum of money? Why can we not enjoy the moment? If we are to get the most out of life, we need to discern what is important and what is not. " - from www.rickandrickey.blogspot.com


Bacopa monnieri herb has been revered for centuries in the Ayurvedic herbal tradition of India. Over the past few years it has become more popular in the United States and its range of use is expanding. This herb is not widely known for its use on memory and cognition.
A study is reported on the effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monniera) on human memory. Seventy-six adults aged between 40 and 65 years took part in a double-blind randomized, placebo control study in which various memory functions were tested and levels of anxiety measured. There were three testing sessions: one prior to the trial, one after three months on the trial, and one six weeks after the completion of the trial. The results show a significant effect of the Brahmi on a test for the retention of new information. Follow-up tests showed that the rate of learning was unaffected, suggesting that Brahmi decreases the rate of forgetting of newly acquired information. Tasks assessing attention, verbal and visual short-term memory and the retrieval of pre-experimental knowledge were unaffected.

The active constituents of bacopa are thought to be saponins, though no specific compounds have been isolated. Research has elucidated that the saponins could be glycosides of jujubogenin or pseudojujubogenin. Standardized extracts sometimes refer to bacoside A, which probably refers to the total tetracyclic triterpenoid saponin content. Other constituents include bacoside (a triterpene), flavonoids, phytosterols, and alkaloids.

Bacopa has other activities in the body. Extracts have also been found to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-parasitic activity.

Clinical studies have shown improvement of anxiety, memory and feelings of well-being after treatment with the equivalent of 12 g dried herb per day for one month. Improvements in concentration, IQ and visual motor function were seen in children taking 1050 mg a day of dried herb. In irritable bowel syndrome, bacopa mixed with Bael fruit (Aegle marmelos) was significantly more effective a treating diarrhea than the standard treatment. Several studies in epileptics showed improvement in the frequency of seizures using a dose of 50 g of fresh plant per day.

There is a combined study of bacopa and ginkgo that was published. Eighty-five men and women (aged 19-68 years) who did not smoke or take any drugs participated in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study conducted at Swinburne University, Hawthorn, Australia. Subjects received either 4 weeks of placebo or a combined extract of ginkgo (120 mg/day) and bacopa (300 mg/day) (Blackmores Ginkgo Brahmi; Blackmores, Balgowlah NSW, Australia). The tablets contained bacopa extract equivalent to 3 grams dry whole plant, standardized to contain 67.5 mg bacosides, and ginkgo extract equivalent to 3 grams dry leaf, standardized to contain 16 mg ginkgo flavonglycosides and 4 mg ginkgolides and bilobalide. A battery of neurological testing was conducted at baseline and 2 and 4 weeks post-treatment. Treatment compliance was ensured by randomly allocating additional pills to each subject and then counting the number of pills remaining at the end of the study.

There were no significant differences between groups with regard to age, gender, or baseline measurements. The average compliance for the study was 83%. The authors investigated attention, short-term memory, working memory, verbal learning, memory consolidation, executive processes, planning and problem solving, information processing speed, motor responsiveness, and decision-making. There were no significant changes in cognitive performance in either group from baseline to 4 weeks post-treatment, even taking compliance into account. There were no treatment related adverse events.

The results of the study did not support the authors' hypothesis that the combined extract would have positive effects on cognitive function and affect a wider range of cognitive processes than either extract tested singly. The findings are in contrast to the positive findings published by other authors on the individual herbs.

For every herb discussed there are beneficial and not beneficial results. I feel it is important to discuss both in relation to any disease entity especially memory and cognition.

Until tomorrow...more herbs and supplements for MEMORY