Take care of your brain.

Have you noticed what a hot topic forgetfulness and memory have become? Why? Because we all fear losing our memory! A survey conducted by the MetLife Foundation in 2006 said that we fear Alzheimer’s disease and its memory loss more than heart disease, stroke or diabetes.

Why All the Worry About Forgetting?

Why do we prize our memory so much? Our memories define us. They contain our life experiences that shape our beliefs. Our memories bind us to our friends and family.

Modern life requires more of our memory than ever before. Tight and urgent schedules. Our jobs are increasingly dependent on cognitive and memory skills. We are bombarded constantly with information and new technology. To succeed in today’s world we must rely on our memory.

What You Need To Know About Forgetfulness

• You are more likely to be struck by lightning than develop early onset Alzheimer’s disease.
• Forgetfulness usually has more to do with stress, depression, lack of sleep or juggling a busy schedule than disease.
• If your friends, co-workers and family aren’t worried about your forgetfulness than you’re probably okay.
• Aging doesn’t always mean we will become forgetful.

Tips To Improve Your Memory And Help Forgetfulness

• Maintain a healthy diet: Shortchanging the brain’s need for high-quality protein, nourishing, healthy fats, and essential micronutrients can seriously impact memory. This is a particular problem for children and older people. Have a soy smoothie instead of that hamburger.
• Limit alcohol intake: Alcohol interferes with short term memory, limiting the ability to store new information. Most people understand that alcoholism seriously damages memory, but studies have shown that even moderate alcohol use can interfere with the ability to remember. Got a big presentation or test tomorrow? Skip the alcohol tonight and go to bed!
• Get plenty of sleep: Inadequate sleep, and even jet lag can produce a chronic state of fatigue that impairs learning and memory. Some scientists believe that the poor sleep patterns and sleep deprivation experienced by many overworked adults contribute to forgetfulness and memory loss.
• Quit smoking: I know it's hard, but you have to quit! Smoking limits the amount of oxygen that gets to the brain. Studies have shown that smokers have more difficulty remembering names and faces in a test of verbal and visual memory.
• Limit caffeine intake: While caffeine in coffee and tea can have a positive impact on alertness, the stimulation caused by these drinks may interfere with normal memory function. Caffeine can also interfere with the sleep necessary to consolidate memories.
• Drink plenty of water: Lack of water has an immediate effect on memory, producing confusion and difficulty thinking. Too little water brings on fatigue and decreases alertness. People such as the elderly who are less likely to accurately perceive their level of thirst are at particular risk. A person’s perceived level of thirst may not be an accurate indicator of true fluid needs.
• Look at the medications you take: Certain drugs such as tranquilizers, muscle relaxers, sleeping pills, and anti-anxiety medications can cause forgetfulness. In some people, drugs for high blood pressure may also have an impact on memory and in some cases may cause depression.
• Get a check-up Certain diseases and injuries to the brain can cause frgetfulness. This is quite different from the normal forgetting that takes place in daily lives. Anyone concerned about memory loss should be evaluated by a health care professional.
• Find ways to lower your stress: Anxiety and stress interfere with concentration. The typical American lifestyle leaves many people tense, distracted and overstimulated. Memory can suffer when all circuits are busy.

Feed Your Brain

A good diet with plenty of complete protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats is as important for the brain as for any other organ in the body. However, brain cells can be more demanding nutritionally than other cells. Brain cells require a great deal of carefully controlled energy to function optimally.

Healthy Brain Diet

• Proteins and fats are needed to make new connections. Memories are stored by making new connections.
• Essential fatty acids affect neurotransmitter release and are critical for other brain functions. The omega 3 fatty acids found in salmon and other deep water fish may be the reason that fish has long been considered brain food.
• Some vitamins are particularly important for memory. These include thiamin, folic acid, and vitamin B12.
• Lecithin provides choline, a component of acetylcholine, an important messenger used by the brain and central nervous system.
• Ginkgo biloba appears to increase the flow of blood to the brain. The National Institutes of Health is currently studying the impact of ginkgo on brain function.
• Recent clinical research has shown that both bacopa and vinpocetine can help to improve memory function. Vinpocetine been widely used in Europe and Japan, and in clinical tests, has been shown to enhance blood flow, glucose utilization, and increase oxygen uptake to the brain.* Bacopa monnieri has been shown in clinical tests to improve memory and the ability to learn new information.*

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.