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Seniors, Only
Boosting Memory
Ellen Griffin - Well Journal
Think memory loss is an inevitable part of aging? Think again, say experts, who offer encouraging advice in the battle against brain fade.
Want to improve your memory? Try walking and chewing gum at the same time.
Physical exercise has long been a mainstay of memory-improving programs, since cardiovascular health plays an important part in getting oxygen and other nutrients to the brain. But gum-chewing? Cognitive researchers at Britain's Northumbria University announced in March that gum-chewing subjects outperformed control groups in tests measuring attention span, response rates and both long-term and short-term memory. Their recall of word lists was 35% better than non-chewers.
There are two possible explanations for the boost in brainpower, says the research team's Dr. Andrew Scholey. "One is that the increase in heart-rate leads to an increase in blood flow and therefore delivers more oxygen and glucose to the brain. The other is that chewing could stimulate insulin production. Insulin receptors are fairly densely packed into the hippocampus area of the brain, which is the area responsible for memory."
Memory's not destiny
For decades, scientists told us that brain function declined with age. Nerve cells die. Brain mass shrinks. Processing time slows. End of story. Deal with it.
Their best advice was to create tricks and tips that compensate for these inevitable losses. Exercise your mind with puzzles and crosswords, they said. Create acronyms, mnemonics and word associations to remember names and facts. Get adequate rest and nutrition. And, to make sure you stay on top of life's daily routines--make lists, carry a mini tape recorder and write things down. Helpful advice, but it didn't address the root causes.
Today, new research into brain function and memory shows you can actually prevent and in some cases reverse, losses that were once thought inevitable.
Neurobics to the rescue
Recent research shows that adult brains do, in fact, generate new cells, repair atrophied or damaged nerve branches that receive and process information, and create new patterns and connections. To make sure that happens, Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D. has created "neurobics" to stretch and challenge our brains.
A professor of neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center, Dr. Katz's approach stimulates the brain to produce its own nutrients and expand its network of associations and connections. His program of exercises presents the brain with "nonroutine or unexpected experiences using various combinations of your physical senses--vision, smell, touch, taste, and hearing--as well as your emotional sense," he says in Keep Your Brain Alive (Workman Publishing Company, 1999).
While simple and built into regular daily activities, neurobic exercises are not routine. Rather, novelty, diversity and multisensory associations are employed to give the brain a workout.
Neurobic workouts can include showering with your eyes closed, brushing your teeth with your nondominant hand, having a sandwich for breakfast, or dessert before dinner.
Move your body
Cardiovascular health and the brain's neurotransmitters function better with regular exercise, and one study suggests exercise may increase IQ, notes Walter M. Bortz, M.D., Professor of Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and author of Living Longer for Dummies (Hungry Minds, 2001).
"Nerve reaction time, which goes down with age, is improved with an exercise program," says this physician who practices what he preaches. At age 72, he told Well Journal, he will run the Boston Marathon this month.
The brain is a muscle that needs physical stimulation and nurturing to grow and stay strong, Dr. Bortz says. "With exercise, you generate adrenaline, one of the prime neurotransmitters. It's the spark that gets the message from one nerve to the other."
Nourish your brain
While gingko and ginseng have won over both consumers and health professionals as memory-enhancers, two supplements virtually unknown to U.S. consumers are worth watching, Elisa Lottor, Ph.D., N.D., told Well Journal.
They are vinpocetine, derived from the periwinkle plant and bacopa, a traditional Ayurvedic remedy also known as "Brahmi" that is extracted from the cacopa monniera plant.
"Vinpocetine improves not only memory, but alertness," Dr. Lottor said, and bacopa is believed to combat stress, improve reflexes, boost creativity and increase concentration and memory.
Dr. Lottor's patients have also improved recall and memory with daily phosphatidylserine (PS) supplements, a fatty substance made from soybean oil.
She cautions that botanicals and supplements should only be explored under the guidance of a physician, and only after you've tried common-sense self-care. Smart self-care, as outlined in her new book Female and Forgetful (Warner Books, 2002), starts with good nutrition that emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods. "Sometimes just changing your diet and giving up sugar and alcohol can really show a difference," she advises. And, she adds, be sure to get the minimum daily recommendations of essential vitamins and nutrients.
Dr. Lottor also recommends exercises for the body and brain, stress reduction, and for women, hormone replacement therapy.
Don't forget to relax
Stress reduction is key, other experts agree. In fact, much of the foggy forgetfulness that's chalked up to getting older is more likely due to the pressures and complexities of the typical adult's day. When stressed, our brains release the hormone cortisol, which over time impairs neurotransmitter and glucose function.
"Optimal cognitive performance requires a relaxed mental state," Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D. writes in Brain Longevity (Warner Books, 1997). Along with physical and mental exercises, and his comprehensive nutritional program, Dr. Khalsa advocates lifestyle changes that remove the stressors from your day.
"Taking control is probably the most critical element in defeating stress," Dr. Khalsa says. "If you can control a difficult situation, it will probably be good for your brain. It will coax you to make new synaptic connections between neurons, as you attempt to resolve the situation."
Simplifying your life, learning to say "no," and developing short-term action plans are among Dr. Khalsa's suggestions for taking control. And for powerful relaxation, he advocates regular practice of meditation.
Visit WellJournal.com
- Updated: November 3, 2003
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