Brahmi Ghritam
Brahmi Ghritam is a classical Ayurvedic ghrita, a medicated ghee. Listed in Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI); mentioned in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API); standardization parameters established for physicochemical and phytochemical evaluation. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India (Part I, entry 6:32) lists 12 ingredients, beginning with Brahmi svarasa, Ghrta, Sunthi and Marica.
| Also known as | Brahmi Ghritam, BrahmiGhritam |
|---|---|
| Pharmacopoeia status | Listed in Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI); mentioned in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API); standardization parameters established for physicochemical and phytochemical evaluation |
Composition
As given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 6:32 (BRAHMI GHRTA), which cites Astangahrdaya, Uttarasthana, Adhyaya 6; 23-24.. Names, parts and quantities are transcribed as printed and checked row by row against the book. Manufacturers' versions of a classical formulation can differ from the formulary.
| # | Ingredient | Part | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brahmi svarasa (brahmi) | illegible | |
| 2 | Ghrta (goghrta) | 768 g. | |
| 3 | Sunthi * | rhizome | 12 g. |
| 4 | Marica * | fruit | 12 g. |
| 5 | Pippali | fruit | 12 g. |
| 6 | Syama (krsna trivrt) | root | 12 g. |
| 7 | Trivrt (Sveta trivrt) | root | 12 g. |
| 8 | Danti | root | 12 g. |
| 9 | Sankhapuspi * | whole plant | 12 g. |
| 10 | Nrpadruma (aragvadha) | Fr.P. | 12 g. |
| 11 | Saptala | 12 g. | |
| 12 | Krmihara (vidanga) | fruit | 12 g. |
Cells marked illegible are damaged in the source scan. The ingredient name is shown where it was readable, and nothing is inferred to fill a gap.
* The scanned text was damaged at this row and the name was read from the entry's own Sanskrit verse.
The Formulary gives the anupana, the vehicle it is taken with, as warm milk, warm water. This is what the Formulary records for the classical preparation. It is not a dose for any product, and not advice to take anything.
The evidence at a glance
5papers on this site for this drug, published 2012 to 2026, every one with a DOI.
- 5Laboratory and animal studies
A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Everything listed here is laboratory or animal work, which does not show an effect in people.true See the research index for how papers are tiered.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Brahmi Ghritam |
Where is it described in the classical texts?
Charaka Samhita Chikitsa Sthana (Unmada and Apasmara Chikitsa); Ashtanga Hridayam Uttarasthana; Vagbhata commentaries
How does it work?
- Bacosides modulate cholinergic receptors and promote synaptic plasticity
- Sesquiterpenes from Vacha upregulate GABA activity, calming neural over-excitation
- Lipid-soluble ghee base facilitates transport of active compounds across the blood-brain barrier for enhanced CNS bioavailability
- Combined antioxidant activity has been proposed to protect neural tissue from oxidative damage
- Classically described as medhya (promoting intellect), and in Ayurvedic terms as improving srotas flow and clearing ama
Which traditional uses are supported by research?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Apasmara (epilepsy): traditionally used for epilepsy. Animal studies using PTZ-induced seizure models have reported anticonvulsant activity.
- Unmada (psychosis/psychiatric disorders): traditionally used for psychiatric disorders. Clinical reviews have reported benefits in anxiety, depression, and ADHD in children.
- Smriti Vriddhi (memory enhancement): traditionally used for memory enhancement. Double-blind clinical studies have reported improvement in memory retention and attention.
- CNS depressant and anxiolytic effects: experimental studies have reported anti-anxiety and calming properties.
What do recent studies show?
- Moon S, Raut N, Moon H and others 2024. Organoleptic, physicochemical, phytochemical and pharmacological evaluation of six medicated ghee used for Ayurvedic management of Epilepsy. Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine. PMID 39644797 · doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2024.100995
Of the six medicated ghees evaluated, Baidyanath’s Brahmi Ghrita showed the greatest protection against the onset and duration of PTZ-induced convulsions in mice. This is the study’s finding about the specific commercial sample it tested, not a general claim about the formulation
Only studies that could be traced to a published paper are listed here. Classical formulations are researched largely in journals that PubMed does not index, so an absence here reflects the reach of the index rather than the state of the evidence.
Recent safety updates
- Generally safe when taken in recommended doses under practitioner guidance
- Contraindicated in individuals with hyperlipidemia due to ghee base; diabetics should use with caution due to lipid content
- May cause mild gastrointestinal discomfort in very high doses; long-term safety data from controlled trials remains limited
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Ghrita (medicated ghee), Soft gelatin capsules (modern)
Standard Dosage: 6-12 g (1-2 teaspoons) twice daily. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India attributes this formula to Astangahrdaya, Uttarasthana, Adhyaya 6; 23-24.
Optimal Timing: Early morning on empty stomach and before bedtime (traditional timing)
Storage: Store in airtight glass or tin containers in a cool, dry place. Protect from moisture and light. Temperature not exceeding 25°C.
Marker Compounds: Bacoside A, Bacoside B, Bacopasaponin C, Bacopaside I, Bacopaside II, Jujubogenin
Vehicle (Anupana): Warm milk or warm water
Synergistic Combinations
- Brahma Rasayana
- Brahmi Vati
- Saraswatarishta
- Medhya Rasayana herbs
- Shankhapushpi Churna
What manufacturers publish about this preparation
Disclosure first. This site is published by Age Ayurveda, which sells Ayurvedic products, though not this preparation. Every cell states what that company's own product page carried when it was read, not our judgement of it. There is no score, no rank and no winner here, and the table is in alphabetical order for that reason.
The formulary entry above fixes the ingredients and the quantity of each. Whether you can check a particular product against it depends on what its manufacturer publishes. Of the 5 companies surveyed that sell a product under this name, this is what their pages carried when they were read on 8 October 2026.
| Company | What its product page publishes |
|---|---|
| AVN Ayurveda | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| Kerala Ayurveda | An ingredient list, without quantities |
| Patanjali Ayurved | Ingredients and the quantity of each |
| SNA Oushadhasala | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| The Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, Coimbatore | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
This measures what each company publishes, not the quality of anything it makes. A company that publishes nothing here may make an excellent preparation, and the label in the box is a separate, regulated surface that is not what was read. What disclosure changes is whether a reader, a pharmacist or an answer engine can check a product against the formulary entry it claims.
Method, the full counts across every company surveyed, and what this measurement got wrong the first time: which manufacturers publish what is in the bottle. The URL of every page read is recorded in brand-disclosure.json. If a row here is wrong, including where the correction favours a company other than ours, tell us and we will fix it and say that we did. How the same companies' stated doses compare with the formulary dose, preparation by preparation: Ayurvedic company doses against the Ayurvedic Formulary of India.
Published research
Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.
Laboratory and animal studies5
- 2024. Organoleptic, physicochemical, phytochemical and pharmacological evaluation of six medicated ghee used for Ayurvedic management of EpilepsyJournal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine. PMID 39644797 · doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2024.100995
- 2013. Preliminary physico-chemical profile of Brahmi GhritaAyu. PMID 24501526 · doi:10.4103/0974-8520.123130
- 2014. Beneficial effect of Brahmi Ghrita on learning and memory in normal ratAyu. PMID 26664242 · doi:10.4103/0974-8520.153755
- 2012. Analytical profile of Brahmi Ghrita: A polyherbal Ayurvedic formulationAyu. PMID 23559806 · doi:10.4103/0974-8520.105254
- 2026. Brahmi Ghrita exerts nephroprotective effect on polycystic phenotype in the Malpighian tubules of caspase 3 deletion mutants of Drosophila melanogasterScientific reports. PMID 42410094 · doi:10.1038/s41598-026-60864-5
Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.
Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.
Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.