Due to popular request, we have sourced this formula called Jian Nao Wan, which is a vegan alternative to Bu Nao Wan. (Many versions of Jian Nao Wan exist with similar packaging, but we have found this formulation and manufacturer to be the best.)
Jian Nao Wan or “Healthy Brain Pills” is a Chinese formula with ancient roots that has scientifically proven benefits for memory, learning and focus. A 2021 study conducted by the Sichuan Chinese Medical Academy of Sciences found that Jian Nao Wan improved spatial learning and memory ability in a mouse model. The formula was found to work by protecting hippocampal neurons and increasing cholinergic activity, both of which play a crucial role in memory formation.
Indeed, the powerful memory-enhancing capacity of Jian Nao Wan is long-established. As far back as 1994, a study by the Shandong University of Health Science found that Jian Nao Wan markedly improved completion time and task-focus in a mouse-maze laboratory model. Similarly, the study found the improvements were due to increased activation of neural memory centers as well as improved blood circulation to the brain.
Though Jian Nao Wan is a modern creation, the formula draws on a lineage of “heart-supplementing” (in Chinese medical thought, the heart is the seat of the mind) formulas dating back to the Ming Dynasty including “Celestial Emperor’s Heart Supplementing Capsule” and “Platycladi Seed Heart Nourishing Decoction”, both of which were used to treat memory-loss, absent-mindedness, vexation and insomnia. Typically, these formulas contain two classes of medicinals: “orifice opening” and “heart-nourishing/spirit tranquilizing” herbs. Orifice opening herbs sharpen the mind and increase attention and acuity, while spirit tranquilizing herbs quiet the mind, creating space for deep focus.
A classic example of the “orifice-opening” class of herbs included in this formula is Jie Changpu (Anemones Altaica), which has been used for “memory-loss and confusion” as early as the dawn of the first millennium. Modern studies have also shown that Jie Changpu improves memory by scavenging free radicals in the brain, upregulating the cholinergic system and promoting neuronal plasticity.
The second class of herbs, “heart-nourishers/spirit tranquilizers” promote a sense of peacefulness and calm focus. The mind and body are quieted, allowing for full attention to be given where it is needed. A prime example of such medicinals included in this formula is Dan Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza or Red Sage). Early attestations from the 9th century formulary “The Materia Medica of Master Rihua” describe Dan Shen as nourishing the heart and calming the spirit. Modern research has shown that Dan Shen has both calming and memory-enhancing effects. A 1979 study found that Danshen provides a ten-fold amplification of the tranquilizing effect of barbiturates, while a 2017 study found that it improved memory by reducing inflammation and upregulating hippocampal neural networks.
Gluten-free and nut-free.
Instructions: Take 5 small pills 3 times each day (pills are small round pills and go down easily with water). Contains 300 pills.