Memory Enhancement Tips
Read these 12 Memory Enhancement Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Vitamin tips and hundreds of other topics.
Vitamins to Improve Memory – Vitamin B12
Another group of vitamins to improve memory are the B-complex vitamins, especially vitamin B12. It is especially beneficial for elderly people, who may not eat right and may be deficient in this vitamin. The vitamin is found primarily in eggs, dairy products, and meat, and if these are not present in the diet, vitamin B12 deficiency can result. It is not available from any plant or vegetable sources; however, there are some vegetable products, such as soy burgers, which are fortified with vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 is essential for the central nervous system and B12 deficiency can lead to anemia and even memory loss. Take a small dose of vitamin 12 each day to help improve the memory. A supplement of B12, ginkgo biloba, and vitamin E could be even more beneficial, as these are all vitamins to improve memory and brain function.
Ginkgo Biloba May Help Your Memory
Do you have trouble remembering people's names or where you left your car keys? Some studies have shown that taking ginkgo biloba supplements, made from the ginkgo biloba plant, improve mental acuity. It's not a cure for severe dementia, but if you are in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, ginkgo may be worth a try. Studies have shown that daily doses from 120 milligrams to 240 milligrams of ginkgo biloba improved memory and brain function in people with early stage Alzheimer's disease. Most of the studies involving ginkgo have focused on Alzheimer's but evidence suggests that it may help with less severe age-related memory impairment, too.
How does it work? No one knows for sure, but evidence suggests that gingko improves blood flow to the brain, and it may stimulate certain types of nerve cells.
You don't have to be older to benefit from gingko biloba. Although the effects have not been well-studied, early evidence suggests gingko biloba may enhance memory in healthy adults of all ages. Gingko biloba can interact with blood-thinning medications, so talk to your doctor before taking gingko if you are also taking blood-thinners.
Memory Enhancing Vitamins – Vitamin E
One of the most common and easily found memory enhancing vitamins is vitamin E. Vitamin E is fat-soluble and helps protect vitamin A and essential fatty acids from oxidation in cells in the body and stops the breakdown of body tissues, as well. Even more importantly, it is associated with a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, but in extremely high doses, as much as 2,000 mg or more per day.
You can find vitamin E in a variety of foods, including sunflower seeds, wheat germ, sesame seeds, peanuts, but the vitamin can be lost during storage or cooking, so it is best to take a good-quality, natural supplement every day to help enhance memory. There are many memory enhancing vitamins, but vitamin E shows much promise in helping treat and prevent loss of memory.
Vitamins for Memory – Folic Acid
Folic acid is another B-complex vitamin that is extremely helpful in memory loss. As in several other vitamins for memory, folic acid can be found in green vegetables like peas, broccoli, lettuce, and asparagus, along with beans, whole grains, and orange juice. In addition, many breads and pastas are enriched with folic acid.
Studies show that use of folic acid for a prolonged period, especially in those already showing symptoms of memory loss, help retain memory and information processing capabilities. So, if you're searching for vitamins for memory, look for vitamins that contain folic acid as part of their ingredients, and combine folic acid with other B-complex vitamins, as well.
Vitamins for Memory Loss
Memory loss occurs when we lose neurotransmitters in the brain, and parts of the brain cannot communicate with each other. Neurotransmitters are the link that allows the brain cells to "talk" to each other, which includes the memories and thoughts we have every day. Some vitamins are essential for neurotransmitter health and production, and without those vitamins, we can lose neurotransmitters and along with them, memories.
Some of the most essential vitamins for memory loss include the B-complex vitamins, vitamin E, and vitamin C, so when you shop for vitamins for memory loss, look for supplements that contain all of these vitamins, plus minerals and antioxidants. Memory loss does not have to be the result of aging if you take care of yourself and supplement your diet with the right vitamins for memory loss!
Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo Biloba is one of the most common and well-used natural supplements in the world, and many studies indicate it is especially helpful in enhancing the memory and blood circulation. It also contains two chemicals, called flavonoids and terpenoids, that show powerful antioxidant properties, which help control damaging free radicals in the body.
The most common form of ginkgo biloba is Ginkgo Biloba Extract (GBE), available from most health and natural food stores. The extract helps enhance memory but also helps increase circulation throughout the body, and has been used to treat Alzheimer's patients and other memory loss problems. Dosage depends on the severity of the memory loss, and other factors, and should be discussed with your doctor.
Remember Your Vitamins
Remember to take your vitamins. But if you improve memory support, you don't need those pill organizers and reminders, right? Wrong. Everyone's brain gets so cluttered with to-do lists and random thoughts that they need guidelines. It doesn't mean you're losing your memory completely--remembering to be organized is a sign that your vitamins are working. But first you have to organize your vitamins. You might make notations like this:
- Folic Acid/Vitamin B--800 mcg--supports memory and the heart
- Ginkgo Biloba--60 mg--supports memory
- Neuro PS--100 mg--improves neurotransmitter functions
- Coenzyme-Q10--200 mg--prevents neurodegenerative diseases
Post this on your pill organizer and on your refrigerator. Write yourself a Post-it note to remember to post your list! You can improve memory through a combo of vitamins and mental exercises. Now you can remember to take your vitamins so you can remember to...what was that again?
What Is Gingko Bilboba?
If you saw Treebeard with your teens in "The Lord of the Rings" and if you remember fairy tales about ancient and wise trees, you've just answered the question, "What is ginkgo biloba and what does it do for me?" Ginkgo biloba, like NEURO-PS, coenzyme-Q10, and Vitamin B, is a brain tonic that makes memory perform more amazing feats than Peter Jackson's special effects team. Remembering where you parked your car and the name of the first guy you kissed in junior high is a miracle! Plus, you're less likely to get Alzheimer's, tinnitus, depression, cardiovascular disease, and asthma. How does ginkgo do all that? Ginkgolides A, B, and C, plus quercetin, bilobalide, and kaempferol help:
- Control plaque in the heart
- Act as powerful antioxidants
- Increase blood supply to the whole body, especially the brain
- Regulate the neurotransmitters such as dopamine.
Lack of dopamine, for example, is associated with Parkinson's Disease, and neurotransmitters help promote well-being and that general "good feeling" Think about it--when was the last time you saw a depressed, forgetful tree? With CGI effects, trees can even walk...and you can remember your mom's birthday! Because, you know, old wise trees never forget. Remember to jog your teens' memory after you watch "Return of the King" for the tenth time.
Gingko Biloba with Ginseng
Siberian ginseng (recommended for Parkinson's Disease) patients is a perfect additive to ginkgo biloba when you feel like your memory file cabinet is in Siberia in a deep freeze. You can also improve memory and thaw your brain with 100 mg of Panax ginseng and 60 mg of ginkgo biloba, according to a 2000 study by Cognitive Drug Research Ltd, Reading, UK.
Just be careful if you're pregnant and taking ginseng. Always consult a medical professional. Ginseng is great for energy, so you've been told, and in combination with ginkgo biloba, allows you to think creatively and devise ways to use that mojo that you've got working!
But do us a favor: When you're feeling your ginseng and taking ginkgo biloba, oh, behave! You can't get too ambitious when you're seven months pregnant. Save your energy for the three a.m. feedings and diaper changes.
Anti-Inflammatory Vitamins
You're angry and hot under the collar because your boss just accused you of misplacing the Dobson report. Don't get inflamed. Temper will only worsen the plaque deposits that build up and block neural function. Those same plaque roadblocks have a mysterious way of speeding up Alzheimer's and dementia, as well as general absentmindedness. The solution? Add more spice.
While vitamin B, ginkgo biloba, neuro ps and coenzyme Q-10 can all improve memory, anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs such as ibuprofen can melt plaque. But if you can't take ibuprofen (even though an aspirin and a martini sound appealing right now), do what Asian cultures have been doing for centuries. Eat ginger and take turmeric capsules.
These hot stimulating spices keep the blood flowing and the nerves firing...so you don't get fired. You can also keep cool under pressure with a clearer memory...which helps, because your boss is Donald Trump and you're on "The Apprentice." Turmeric, you're hired!
Vegetarian? You Still Need Memory Improvers
You think to yourself that being a vegetarian makes you a more enlightened being. It probably does. And you have a better memory too, right? After all, chickens and cows may feel pain, but they don't remember from day to day, do they? Unfortunately, despite all the kale and spinach (good for you with lutein), tempeh and Basmati rice, you're still forgetting where your best friend is having her one-woman "performance art" show. She's forgetting her lines too! Here's some very veggie advice:
- While the hormones in beef and in non-organic food may be harmful, you get a deficiency of vitamin B-12 when you don't eat meat. Vegetarians need the recommended vitamin B-12 dosage in B-Complex, or supplements or vitamin B-12 lozenges.
- If you consume soy, you may still need neuro PS, a nutrient you can take in capsule form. While the effects of soy are a source of debate, the soy phospholipids in neuro PS protect your grey matter and reduce the risk of cognitive dysfunction. After all, foggy thinking is what you try to avoid by going green, right?
- Coenzyme-Q10 is the wonder supplement. It can turbocharge your brain by speeding up the metabolism in your brain cells and shock-proof your mitochondria so that you still have strong dopamine levels. So even though you're calm in your yoga class and your mind is quiet, your brain is still lively. Or perhaps your mind is quiet because your brain is lively and you can concentrate.
- Ginkgo biloba and ginseng lubricate and energize your brain cells too. But you knew that, right? Forgot? Take more vitamin B-12. We mentioned shock-proofing. Your friend likes to shock with her post-feminist meditation, and you want all your cognitive powers so you can dissect it over a meal of tabbouleh and hummus--just bring the vitamin B-12 to the meal when your friend forgets her lines and goes into a rendition of "Oh What a Beautiful Morning."
Gingko Biloba Dosage
Memory, all alone in the moonlight, I can smile at the old days...when I remembered to take ginkgo biloba! You need that ginkgo biloba to help your father who has Parkinson's. Actually,your father needs ginkgo biloba too, 300 mg, as well as 100-1,500 mg of co-enzyme-Q10 and 2,000-10,000 mg of vitamin C. POWER AGING from Bottom Line Publications has a complete list of a Parkinson's formula to improve memory.
Try NEURO-PS as well. But you, the caregiver and loving son or daughter, need 30-60 mg of ginkgo biloba twice daily, plus all the vitamins you can get to improve memory and keep your energy level. Now you and your father can sing "Memory" and "Try to Remember" together in September!
| Guru Spotlight |
| Linda Handiak |
