TARGETING BRAIN HEALTH WITH MEDHYA RASAYANA: NATURAL APPROACH TO MENTAL DISORDERS

Anxiety, depression, cognitive dysfunction, and psychosis are among the mental illnesses that are on the rise and frequently call for long-term pharmaceutical treatments that can have serious adverse effects. Objective: To in-vestigate the therapeutic potential of Medhya Rasayana, a collection of Ayurvedic nootropic herbs, in fostering brain health and providing a natural method of treating mental illnesses. Data sources: Ayurvedic classics like Charaka Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya, and Bhavaprakasha are among the data sources, as are current scientific publications from PubMed, Scopus, and other peer-reviewed journals. Materials and methods: A narrative re-view of a few Medhya Rasayana herbs, such as Vacha (Acorus calamus), Shankhapushpi (Convolvulus pluricau-lis), Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi), and Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), was part of the materials and methods. Based on both traditional descriptions and contemporary pharmacological research, these herbs were evaluated for their neuroprotective, anxiolytic, antidepressant, adaptogenic, and cog-nitive-enhancing properties. Result: Medhya Rasayana herbs work by modifying neurotransmitters (including serotonin, dopamine, and GABA), lowering inflammation and oxidative stress, improving synaptic plasticity, and controlling the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, among other methods. For example, Brahmi en-hanced memory and learning, and ashwagandha showed anti-stress and anti-anxiety qualities. Shankhapushpi and Jatamansi have shown neuroregenerative and soothing effects.Conclusion: Medhya Rasayana holds prom-ise as a complementary therapy for mental health.