Which standardized Bacopa extracts (CDRI‑08, Bacognize®, Bacumen®) have the most clinical trial evidence and how do their dosages compare?
Executive summary
CDRI‑08 (KeenMind®/CDRI 08) has the largest and most diverse clinical footprint in the provided literature, with multiple acute and chronic randomized controlled trials across healthy adults, older adults and pediatric protocols; its commonly reported acute doses are 320 mg and 640 mg while chronic dosing in the literature centers around roughly 300–640 mg total daily depending on study design [1] [2] [3] [4]. Bacognize® has several targeted randomized trials — including a six‑week study in medical students and a 6‑month trial in older patients with Alzheimer’s symptoms — with a frequently reported regimen of 150 mg twice daily (≈300 mg/day) in at least one randomized trial [5] [6]. Bacumen® is represented by far fewer clinical reports in the supplied sources and the specific dosing used in the cited Bacumen® trial is not provided in these extracts, limiting direct dose comparisons [7] [8].
1. Evidence volume and study types: CDRI‑08 leads
CDRI‑08 is documented across acute experimental cross‑over studies, longer randomized controlled trials and a registered pediatric trial protocol, indicating the broadest clinical testing among the three extracts in the material provided: acute double‑blind crossover studies used 320 mg and 640 mg doses (KeenMind®/CDRI‑08) on cognitive performance and stress reactivity [1] [2], and a randomized parallel trial protocol and later pediatric RCTs examine inattention/hyperactivity and cognition in children and adolescents (BACHI protocol and trial) [3] [9]. Systematic summaries and reviews in the dataset repeatedly cite CDRI‑08 work, reinforcing that it is the dominant clinical candidate in the supplied literature [4] [10].
2. Bacognize®: focused RCTs and a common chronic dose
Bacognize® appears in several randomized trials cited here, including a six‑week randomized placebo‑controlled study in medical students and a reported six‑month trial in geriatric Alzheimer patients where some cognitive domains improved; one randomized adult trial cited administered 150 mg twice daily for six weeks — a clear, replicable chronic dosing regimen reported in the sources [6] [5] [10]. Transparency caveats exist: at least one Bacognize® trial disclosed that the manufacturer supplied medicine and placebo for the study (Pharmanza Herbal), a relevant conflict‑of‑interest detail for readers weighing results [6].
3. Bacumen®: emerging data, unclear dosing in provided reports
Bacumen® is mentioned as the extract tested in a randomized, double‑blind, placebo‑controlled trial of cognition, stress and fatigue (title cited in [7] and p1_s8), but the excerpted material does not report the trial’s dosing scheme or the number of trials available for Bacumen®; consequently the data set here does not allow a confident statement that Bacumen® has comparable clinical evidence volume to CDRI‑08 or Bacognize® [7] [8]. This absence should not be read as evidence of inefficacy — only as a limitation of the provided reporting.
4. Dosage comparison and practical takeaways
From the available sources, CDRI‑08 has well‑documented acute doses of 320 mg and 640 mg in cross‑over experiments (single/acute administration) and a range of chronic dosing reported across trials and reviews that often cluster around the 300–640 mg/day window depending on formulation and study design [1] [2] [4]. Bacognize® is explicitly reported at 150 mg twice daily in at least one randomized trial (≈300 mg/day) and has been used in longer trials including a six‑month Alzheimer cohort [5] [6]. For Bacumen®, the specific clinical dosages are not reported in the supplied excerpts, preventing a reliable numeric comparison [7] [8].
5. How to interpret the comparative evidence
The strongest conclusion supported by the supplied sources is that CDRI‑08 currently has the broadest clinical testing program (acute and chronic RCTs, pediatric protocols), Bacognize® has multiple RCTs with a recurring chronic dose around 300 mg/day (150 mg twice daily) and Bacumen® is less well represented in these excerpts with unclear dosing details; readers should note manufacturer involvement reported in at least one Bacognize® trial, and that some CDRI‑08 pediatric trial results showed mixed behavioural versus cognitive outcomes [9] [6]. Where the provided material omits details—especially exact chronic dosing for some CDRI‑08 trials and dosage for Bacumen®—those gaps limit direct head‑to‑head conclusions [1] [8].