New Thinking on Memory

New Thinking on Memory

Provided by Prevention

Misplaced your keys--again? Can't remember the name of someone you met just 5 minutes ago? Science is on the case! These breakthrough tips will fight forgetfulness and boost your brainpower.

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Check Your Iron

Iron helps the neurotransmitters essential to memory function properly--and your brain can be sensitive to low amounts. "A poor diet or heavy menstrual periods, such as those during perimenopause, can cause your iron levels to drop enough to affect your recall abilities, even if you don't have anemia," says Laura Murray-Kolb, PhD, an assistant professor of international health at Johns Hopkins University. Murray-Kolb recommends that women who don't get enough through their diets consider taking a daily multivitamin with 18 mg of iron (8 mg for postmenopausal women). If you still suspect you're low, ask your doctor for a blood test to check your ferritin level, which will reveal even a moderate iron deficiency; a regular blood test isn't sensitive enough to pick up levels lower than the threshold for anemia.

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Buyer Beware: Ginkgo Biloba

Should you take ginkgo biloba for a memory boost? These experts make a less-than-compelling case for the supplement.

Maybe: "The jury is still out. Some studies suggest that ginkgo is useful, but more research needs to be done. If you're going to take ginkgo, you should do it with caution. It has side effects, such as reducing the ability of your blood to clot, that could be a problem if you take aspirin or a blood thinner. So check with your doctor to make sure it won't interact with your medications." --Stuart Zola, PhD, codirector of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Emory University

No: "A National Institute on Aging study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found absolutely no memory benefits when normal people take ginkgo biloba supplements. And, as is true with all herbal supplements, which are unregulated, you can never be certain what you're getting in the bottle. Consumers should be very wary." --Aaron P. Nelson, PhD, assistant professor, and author of The Harvard Medical School Guide to Achieving Optimal Memory

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Turn Off Background Noise

We all multitask, a necessary survival skill of the digital age. But did you know that just listening to the news while you answer your e-mail can limit how well you're able to recall both? Normally, when you take in new information, you process it with a part of the brain called the cerebral cortex. "But multitasking greatly reduces learning because people can't attend to the relevant information," says UCLA psychology professor and memory researcher Russell Poldrack, PhD. That's because the brain is forced to switch processing to an area called the striatum, and the information stored here tends to contain fewer important details. Luckily, this kind of memory problem has an easy fix, says Poldrack: Simply pay undivided attention to whatever you really want to recall later.

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Refresh Your Mind

Yes, you know that meditation can reduce stress, which research shows can damage brain cells and your ability to retain information over time. But the ancient practice can do more than just soothe your soul: It may also sharpen your memory. According to a University of Kentucky study, subjects who took a late-afternoon test after meditating for 40 minutes had significantly better scores than those who napped for the same period. How could that be? Meditation, like sleep, reduces sensory input, and this quiet state may provide a time for neurons to process and solidify new information and memories. "However, unlike when you sleep, consciousness is fully maintained in meditation, so there is no grogginess upon 'awakening,'" says Bruce O'Hara, PhD, a coauthor of the study.


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Control Your Cholesterol

A healthful cholesterol level is as essential for mental sharpness as it is for cardiovascular efficiency. When plaque, caused by "bad" LDL cholesterol, builds up in blood vessels, it can hinder circulation to the brain, depriving it of essential nutrients. One possible consequence: memory problems. "It doesn't take much plaque to block the tiny blood vessels in the brain," explains Aaron P. Nelson, PhD, chief of psychology and neuropsychology at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "In addition, several studies have shown that high cholesterol is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease." While that connection is not fully understood, the take-home is clear: Get your cholesterol checked regularly; if it's high, work with your doctor to lower it.

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Double-Check Your Meds

One side effect of taking many prescription and over-the-counter drugs can be a worrisome increase in memory lapses. Antidepressants, antianxiety drugs, antispasmodics, beta-blockers, chemotherapy, Parkinson's medications, sleeping pills, ulcer medications, painkillers, antihistamines, and even statins can all affect your memory, says Gary Small, MD, chief of the UCLA Memory and Aging Research Center and author of Longevity Bible, The: 8 Essential Strategies for Keeping Your Mind Sharp and Your Body Young. As you get older, drugs tend to stay in your system for a longer period of time, increasing the likelihood of troublesome interactions. Fortunately, any drug-related impairment will likely improve as soon as the drug is discontinued. "Speaking with your doctor about adjusting your dose or switching medications is often a simple solution," says Small.

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Munch An Apple

A couple of apples a day may keep the neurologist away. "Apples have just the right dose of antioxidants to raise levels of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that's essential to memory and tends to decline with age," says Tom Shea, PhD, director of the University of Massachusetts Lowell Center for Cellular Neurobiology and Neurodegeneration Research. In addition, antioxidants in apples help preserve memory by protecting brain cells against damage from free radicals created by everyday metabolic action, such as the processing of glucose by the body's cells. Shea recommends consuming two or three apples or two 8-ounce glasses of apple juice each day; even one will give your brain a good lift.

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Rev Up Your Heart

Old-fashioned cardio can also keep your memory spry by improving a number of aspects of brain functions. Last year, researchers from the University of Illinois, Urbana, put two groups of older, healthy adult volunteers on different regimens. One group did aerobic training three times a week for 1 hour; the other did non-aerobic stretching and toning. MRIs taken after 3 months showed that the aerobics group actually increased their brains' volume (which could reflect new neurons or cells) and white matter (connections between neurons) in the frontal lobes, which contribute to attention and memory processing. The aerobic exercisers, who ranged from age 60 to 79, had the brain volumes of people 2 to 3 years younger, said Arthur Kramer, PhD, who reported his results in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences. Taking a 1-hour walk at a brisk, slightly breathless pace three times a week will likely confer the same benefits.

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Believe In Your Brain

Do you find yourself worrying about forgetfulness? Give it up! Any anxiety you feel about your occasionally wayward memory later in life may actually make it worse. In a recent North Carolina State University study published in Psychology and Aging, healthy older folks scored poorly on memory tests after being informed that aging causes forgetfulness. When another group was told that there wasn't much of a decline in their recall abilities with age, however, they scored 15 higher -- even better than a control group told nothing about memory and age. "Believing in negative stereotypes can be a self-fulfilling prophecy," says head researcher and psychology professor Thomas M. Hess, PhD. "That's a shame because your memory probably isn't nearly as bad as you fear it is."

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