Diet Affects Memory

by Michael Rupkalvis

We are all familiar to one degree or another with memory loss, often involving a member of our own family.

There can be many diverse causes of memory loss, including disease, depression, emotional trauma and genetic causes. We will focus on what is considered the most common cause of memory loss, namely ageing.

Even an otherwise healthy person loses about one percent of his nerve cells (including those in the brain) every year starting after our 20's. So an average seventy-five year old may operate with as little as about 50% of the memory function of his youth.

Fortunately there are a number of things one can do to help slow the rate at which we lose our memory as we age. We will focus on just a few of the more crucial ones. For our purposes, we shall assume that there are no neurological problems in play and that we are dealing with a relatively healthy person, whose memory loss is the result solely of his ageing.

Our memory may be profoundly affected by both our lifestyle choices and the foods we eat, and so certain changes to either or both of these can prove quite effective. Amongst these are lessening our alcohol consumption, avoiding cigarettes, and eating foods rich in protein, fiber, vitamins and especially antioxidants (including vegetables and fruits), as the latter can contribute to the functioning of the brain.

Some other recommended dietary improvements are switching from red meats to fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, and avoiding foods treated with chemicals like preservatives such as MSG. Also changing your life style so as to reduce your general stress levels can slow the rate of memory loss. Regular exercise or a daily regime of yoga can substantially reduce stress.

Most people do not think of taking nutritional and herbal supplements designed to maximize the health and functioning of their brain. We will briefly mention a few here. The well-known Ginkgo biloba and Vinpocetine (from the periwinkle plant) dilate our blood vessels, thereby allowing more oxygen to reach the brain. Thiamine and Vitamin B are antioxidants which can aid in protecting brain cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Two other possible supplements to consider in order to reduce the rate of memory loss caused by our ageing are acetylcarnitine and phosphatidylserine, both of which have been employed with Alzheimer's patients with some success. In addition, Korean ginseng and bacopa have been the subject of studies showing their usage can have significant positive effects on the functioning of the brain, especially short term memory.

A number of mental activities have proven very helpful in improving the brain's functioning, including our memories. Clearly an active brain can more readily withstand the ravages of age. Taking on new mental challenges, such as learning to play a new instrument, studying a foreign language, or taking flying lessons, are good examples. Trying to remember particular things, like a person's name or a phone number, may seem trivial but when done regularly often helps maintain the level at which the brain operates. Also there are a number of memory tricks that can assist with particular items you may wish to be able to easily recall later, including repetition, mnemonics (these are mental games designed to aid in memorization, such as the invented name Roy G. Biv where each letter stands for one of the primary colors - Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet) and just taking the time to write the words you wish to be able to recall on a piece of paper and then repeating them orally a few times.

The bottom line is that if one leads a life that is active and engaged, both physically and mentally, is thoughtful in selecting the foods one eats, complements those with appropriate nutritional and herbal supplements, and foresakes habits like cigarettes and alcohol, the rate at which our brains lose their ability to remember things and events can be slowed to a significant degree.

About the Author

Michael Rupkalvis oversees the Clearer Thinking website. The website centers around memory enhancement, stress reduction and how to increase concentration by employing a product called ThinkStraight, which is a supplement containing natural ingredients intended to maximize how the brain functions.

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