Haritaki and the Brain: Could This Ancient Fruit Affect Memory?

Why Are Scientists Studying Haritaki and Memory?

Haritaki (Terminalia chebula) has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. But one of the most intriguing modern questions surrounding this ancient fruit has little to do with digestion:

Could compounds in Haritaki influence the brain and memory?

Scientists are now investigating exactly that.

A 2025 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study followed 100 adults aged 40–65 who reported memory problems for 120 days. Researchers tested a standardized botanical formula containing extracts of Haritaki and Boswellia serrata, also known as Indian frankincense. PubMed

What Did the Human Study Find?

Participants underwent established cognitive tests measuring areas such as learning, recall, processing speed and accuracy.

Researchers reported improvements in multiple measures of memory and cognitive performance in the botanical-combination group compared with placebo. They also reported improvements in sleep-quality measurements. PubMed

But perhaps the most attention-grabbing finding involved something called BDNF.

What Is BDNF?

BDNF stands for brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein involved in the function and plasticity of neurons.

The researchers measured BDNF in participants' blood and reported that levels increased in the group receiving the Haritaki-Boswellia formulation compared with placebo. PubMed

That doesn't prove Haritaki itself caused the change—but it gives researchers an interesting question to investigate further.

Scientists Have Also Looked Inside the Hippocampus

There's another fascinating piece of the story.

In animal research, scientists have examined Haritaki in the hippocampus, a brain region deeply involved in learning and memory.

A 2024 rat study found that Terminalia chebula extract affected memory-related outcomes and was associated with reduced loss of dendritic spine density in the hippocampus following experimentally induced chronic stress. PubMed

Other mouse research has investigated Haritaki extract in experimentally induced memory impairment and reported changes involving acetylcholine-related pathways and oxidative-stress markers in the hippocampus. PubMed

So Does Haritaki Improve Memory?

We don't know that yet.

The newest human trial tested Haritaki together with Boswellia, so its results cannot be attributed to Haritaki alone.

Much of the more detailed brain research has also been conducted in animals or laboratory models—not people.

A 2024 scientific review examining Haritaki and mild cognitive impairment similarly highlighted its potential while emphasizing the need for further research. PubMed

But that's what makes this botanical so interesting.

Haritaki has gone from centuries-old traditional medicine to modern laboratories where researchers are now studying memory, neurons, oxidative stress, the hippocampus and even BDNF.

The science isn't finished.

In many ways, it's only beginning.

Curious about the ancient fruit behind the research? Explore Harlowi Haritaki Third Eye Capsules below.