14 natural ways to improve memory

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Making small changes in your diet and daily routine can help you memorize, think faster, and reduce your risk of dementia.

1. Eat less sugar

Excessive sugar consumption leads to a host of health problems, including cognitive decline. Research shows that unbalanced eating habits can cause memory impairment and a decrease in brain volume, especially in the areas of memory.

Reducing the amount of sugar in the diet will help avoid these problems and will have a positive effect on health in general.

2. Add fish oil to your diet

Fish oil is rich in omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic. They reduce the risk of heart disease, fatigue, anxiety, and slow mental decline.

Eating fish and fish oil can improve memory, especially in the elderly. In one study, participants experienced significant improvement in memory scores after eating fish oil for a year. An experiment in adults with mild symptoms of memory loss has also proven beneficial effects of omega-3s.

3. Take time to meditate

Meditation soothes, reduces pain, lowers blood pressure, and increases gray matter. With age, it becomes less in the brain. This negatively affects memory and learning ability.

Meditation improves short-term memory. This effect has been observed in people of all age groups. A study from a Taiwanese college found that students who practiced meditation had significantly better spatial working memory than classmates.

4. Watch your weight

Obesity is a risk factor for cognitive decline. Being overweight can cause changes in memory-related genes in the brain, negatively affecting memory.

As part of the experiment, scientists observed a group of people from 18 to 35 years old and found that a higher body mass index is associated with poor results on memory tests. Obesity also puts you at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

5. Get enough sleep

Long-term lack of sleep is directly linked to poor memory. It is during the night's rest that short-term memories are transformed into long-term memories.

Researchers studied the effects of sleep on 40 children between the ages of 10 and 14. One group was prepared for memory tests in the evening, but was interviewed in the morning. Another group was trained and tested on the same day. Children who managed to sleep performed 20% better.

Another experiment found that nurses working the night shift made more mistakes in math problems and performed worse on memory tests than their colleagues on the day shift. Therefore, it is recommended to sleep 7-9 hours every night.

6. Train Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a mental state in which you focus on the situation and at the same time have a good understanding of your feelings and the environment around you. It is used as part of meditation, but it is not equal to it, as it is not a formal practice, but a habit.

Research confirms that mindfulness is effective in reducing stress and improving concentration and memory. An experiment with psychology students showed that those who learned this technique improved the speed of object recognition.

Mindfulness helps reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline and generally has a positive effect on psychological well-being.

7. Drink less alcohol

Alcohol has a devastating effect on many aspects of health. Memory is no exception. Scientists studied 155 college freshmen. Those who abused alcohol performed worse on memory tests than students who never drank. Because of the neurotoxic effects of alcohol on the brain, alcohol abuse can damage the hippocampus, the most important part of the brain for memory.

However, scientists believe that the negative consequences are easy to avoid if you drink in moderation.

8. Train your brain

Solving a variety of tasks improves memory. Crossword puzzles, word games, and even mobile brain training apps are fine.

A group of 42 adults with mild cognitive impairments improved their memory test scores after four weeks of specialized games on mobile phones. Another study found that the group that trained the brain using online programs for 15 minutes five days a week had significant improvements in short-term and working memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills compared to the control group.

9. Eat Less Refined Carbs

Research shows that a diet high in refined carbohydrates is associated with dementia and cognitive decline.

Scientists examined 317 children and found cognitive decline in those who ate more processed carbohydrates such as white rice, noodles and fast food. Another study found that adults who eat sugary breakfast cereals every day performed worse on tests.

10. Check your vitamin D levels

One of the negative effects of low vitamin D levels is cognitive decline. The deficiency of this substance is typical for residents of countries with cold climates.

Studies show that memory in older people with vitamin D deficiencies deteriorated faster than their peers with normal vitamin D levels.

11. Exercise

Physical activity is good for the brain and helps improve memory in people of all ages. This is shown by an experiment involving 144 people aged 19 to 93 years. 15 minutes of moderate exercise on a stationary bike improved the cognitive abilities of the exercisers.

Exercise can increase the secretion of neuroprotective proteins and lead to the growth and development of neurons, which are generally beneficial for the brain.

12. Choose anti-inflammatory foods

Anti-inflammatory foods - fruits, vegetables, tea - stimulate the immune system, remove free radicals. Berries are especially rich in antioxidants: they contain flavonoids and anthocyanins. Those who eat more vegetables and fruits are less likely to experience cognitive impairment.

13. Meet Curcumin

Curcumin is found in turmeric root. It is a powerful antioxidant that has anti-inflammatory effects. Numerous animal studies have shown that curcumin minimizes oxidative damage and inflammation in the brain, and also reduces the number of amyloid plaques. They accumulate on neurons and cause cell and tissue death, leading to memory loss.

While there are not many studies in humans, the substance is considered promising for improving memory.

14. Eat chocolate

Chocolate contains flavonoid antioxidants that are especially beneficial for the brain. They stimulate the growth of neurons and improve blood flow to the brain.

According to research, those who eat dark chocolate with flavonoids have better memories than those who eat white chocolate that lack these antioxidants.

For maximum benefits, choose chocolate with a cocoa content of 70% or more.