Verified
“Clinically studied Synapsa.”
The panel names Synapsa, the trademark for the CDRI 08 whole-plant extract used in the Stough 2001 and 2008 and Morgan 2010 trials, at the 320 mg dose.
Doctor's Best Bacopa with Synapsa 320 mg Review
SAC StudioBest OverallBUY
How the score breaks downHide breakdown
SAC Product Score™ — how it breaks down
- Studied Extract & Dose30%9.8
- Standardization Disclosure20%9.6
- Testing & Manufacturing20%8.0
- Formulation & Form15%8.6
- Value15%8.4
Buy it if you want the trial extract with the number printed
✓ Buy if…
- You want the extract used in the memory trials at the studied dose
- You want the bacoside percentage on the panel
✗ Skip if…
- You want a third-party testing statement printed on the label
- You want an organic-certified bacopa
Read the full analysis
✓ Also buy if…
- You want a vegan capsule from a mainstream brand
✗ Also skip if…
- You want the lowest cost per day; Swanson is cheaper
Doctor's Best sells the extract the trials were run on and, unlike the other Synapsa capsule here, prints its standardization: 320 mg Bacopa monnieri whole-plant extract as Synapsa, standardized to contain 55 percent bacosides, one veggie capsule a day, 60 servings. Other ingredients are hypromellose, microcrystalline cellulose, silicon dioxide and magnesium stearate; gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan and soy-free marks are on the panel. The label names Soho Flordis International as the Synapsa trademark holder.
How we built the SAC Product Score™ — 9/10
Studied Extract & Dose30%9.8/10
320 mg Synapsa whole-plant extract is the CDRI 08 material and dose the twelve-week memory trials used; the best trial match on the list.
Standardization Disclosure20%9.6/10
Standardized to contain 55 percent bacosides is printed on the panel, the highest declared standardization here.
Testing & Manufacturing20%8/10
Gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan and soy-free marks on the panel; no third-party testing statement or lab named.
Formulation & Form15%8.6/10
Hypromellose vegetarian capsule with microcrystalline cellulose, silicon dioxide and magnesium stearate; vegan and soy-free.
Value15%8.4/10
About $0.33 per capsule, the cheaper of the two Synapsa products.
The product at a glance
- Form
- Veggie capsule (hypromellose)
- Serving
- 1 capsule
- Count
- 60 capsules (60 servings)
- Per serving
- 320 mg Bacopa monnieri extract (whole plant) (Synapsa)
- Standardization
- 55% bacosides (printed)
- Other ingredients
- Hypromellose, microcrystalline cellulose, silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate (vegetable source)
- Seals
- Gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan, soy-free
- Cost per dose
- ~$0.33 per capsule
Marketing claims vs. reality
Verified
“Standardized to 55% bacosides.”
Printed on the Supplement Facts panel.
Verified
“Non-GMO, vegan, gluten and soy free.”
All four marks appear on the panel; the capsule is hypromellose.
What our test actually found
01The extract, the dose and the number
Nootropics Depot sells the same Synapsa extract but its panel prints no bacoside percentage. Doctor's Best prints 55 percent, uses a vegan capsule and costs less. That combination is why it wins.
02Testing is stated by the brand, not printed
Doctor's Best manufactures under GMP, but the panel carries no third-party or lab statement. For a field-grown herb that is the one gap on an otherwise complete label.
Pros & cons, no sugar-coating
Pros
- Synapsa extract at the studied 320 mg dose
- 55 percent bacosides printed on the panel
- Vegan hypromellose capsule
- Cheaper than the specialist Synapsa capsule
Cons
- No third-party testing statement on the panel
- Not organic
- Four excipients
The Bacopa to buy: trial extract, trial dose, number printed
If you take bacopa for the memory effect the trials measured, this is the capsule that most closely reproduces them, and it says so on the panel. Take one a day with food for at least twelve weeks; that is how long the studies ran.
Affiliate link — Super Achiever Club earns a small commission at no extra cost to you.
If this doesn’t fit — try these
Swanson BaCognize Bacopa
8.7/10The BaCognize clinically studied extract at 250 mg, standardized to 12 percent bacopa glycosides, from a brand with NSF and UL GMP facilities, for sixteen cents a capsule; gelatin capsule, one to three a day.
See it on the list →Nootropics Depot Synapsa Bacopa
8.5/10The same clinically studied Synapsa extract at 320 mg, verified in the vendor's ISO 17025 lab, but with a maltodextrin filler and no bacoside percentage on the panel, at the highest price here.
See it on the list →Nutricost Bacopa Monnieri
8.4/101,000 mg of extract standardized to 50 percent bacosides per two capsules, third-party tested and GMP, in hypromellose capsules for twenty-eight cents; a dose no trial has tested.
See it on the list →Sources & further reading
- Stough C, et al. Phytother Res. 2008;22(12):1629-34.Stough C, Downey LA, Lloyd J, Silber B, Redman S, Hutchison C, Wesnes K, Nathan PJ · 2008 · Phytotherapy Research · PMID 18683852
Examining the nootropic effects of a special extract of Bacopa monniera on human cognitive functioning: 90 day double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial
Ninety days of 300 mg a day of the CDRI 08 extract improved spatial working memory accuracy and reduced false-positive recall compared with placebo in healthy adults, with gastrointestinal upset the main side effect.
- Kongkeaw C, et al. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014;151(1):528-35.Kongkeaw C, Dilokthornsakul P, Thanarangsarit P, Limpeanchob N, Norman Scholfield C · 2014 · Journal of Ethnopharmacology · PMID 24252493
Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on cognitive effects of Bacopa monnieri extract
Pooling nine randomized trials with 518 participants, Bacopa extract improved speed of attention, shortening Trail B time and choice reaction time, with other cognitive domains showing smaller or inconsistent effects.