Many believe that diminishing concentration and memory issues are simply natural side effects of aging. However, this isn’t the case! Here are some great tips to help if you are concerned about the deterioration of your mind and memory.

Find the Cause

There may be various underlying causes of age-related metal deterioration, with the most common including poor nutrition, stress, digestion issues and possibly inflammation and circulatory problems. Any one of these can potentially cause memory problems by interfering with the information flow in the brain and nervous system.

Look at your Nutrition

The brain is said to use around 20 percent of the body’s calories, so it needs plenty of good fuel and nutrients to remain healthy and function at its best. The good news is that a good diet for brain health includes lots of deliciousness including: -

• Oily Fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, herring & mackerel) - A study in 2017 found that people with high levels of omega-3s had increased blood flow in the brain and also identified a connection between omega-3 levels and better cognition.
• Nuts & Seeds (sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, peanuts & almonds) – Not only do they contain a good amount of Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants; nuts and seeds are often high in Vitamin E which is said to protect cells from oxidative stress caused by free radicals. In addition, a study in 2014 found that vitamin E may also contribute to improved cognition.
• Dark Chocolate (70%+) – Known to contain cocoa (cacao) which contains flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. Antioxidants are important for brain health as the brain is highly susceptible to oxidative stress, which contributes to cognitive decline and brain diseases as we age. These flavonoids are also said to have other brain benefits such as stimulating blood flow to the brain and encouraging blood vessel growth in the parts of the brain involved in memory.

Other beneficial food stuffs include wholegrains as a source of vitamin E, berries for their antioxidant and anti-inflammation properties and even coffee (in moderation) as a brain booster!

Keep Stimulated

Let’s think of the brain as a muscle where the less you use it, the less efficient it becomes. Like other parts of your body, your brain also needs ‘exercise’ to function to the best of its ability. Various studies show that everyday intellectual stimulation can not only prevent mental deterioration but actually improve cognitive function. Nowadays there are numerous brain training games online or if you prefer something more traditional, do the newspaper crossword! Remember its never too late to start a new course or pick up a new hobby, anything that keeps the brain stimulated.

Oxygenate

The amount of oxygen that the brain requires for its functioning is almost 25% of the total amount consumed by the human body, so supplying your brain with adequate amounts of unpolluted oxygen key. Here’s what you can do: -

• Sleep well - a good nights sleep is essential to keep your brain happy and healthy.
• If you smoke – try to quit!
• Exercise! Regular exercise is good for you in many ways, including improving memory. Try at least 30-minutes of any level exercise 3-5 times per week.
• Breathe! If you are a shallow breather, spend 5 minutes twice daily breathing in and out of your stomach area and allow your stomach to balloon out when you breathe in. Yoga is also helpful for learning breathing techniques.

Supplements

Supplements can be a very effective at improving memory and cognitive function. Some have been mentioned throughout the article but here are a few more that can help your body and brain have the necessary nutrients to work optimally.

Gingko Biloba is thought to improve blood flow to the brain by dilating blood vessels and thinning the blood.  Medical research shows that ginkgo may not only prevent age-related memory loss, but also improve short-term memory and some of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

B-Vitamins are a collection of water-soluble vitamins that all play important roles in cell metabolism, brain function and maintain energy levels. B9, otherwise known as Folic acid, helps to maintain proper brain and nerve function

Ginseng has been shown in some studies to improve memory and mental well-being.

Omega-3's such as those found in cod liver oil can have a considerable and positive effect on memory, mood, learning and behaviour. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are important constituents of cell membranes and help information flow around the brain. If you struggle to get them naturally in your diet, a supplement version may be best for you.

Can B vitamins improve your memory?

Results from a comprehensive double-blind* clinical study on the effect of B vitamins on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) gained media focus last week. The study concluded that those with MCI experienced clinically significant improvements after taking B Vitamins.

MCI was defined by the following criteria:

• Objective memory impairment for age
• Largely preserved general cognition
• Essentially normal activities of daily living
• No dementia.

Mild cognitive impairment is common and thought to be caused by reduced blood flow causing a physical shrinking of the brain. This is largely due to raised levels of a natural chemical, or amino-acid, called homocysteine. Too much homocysteine can encourage the arteries in the body to harden, fur-up and, in turn, reduce the free flow of blood to the brain and other areas such as the heart. This reduced blood flow causes the brain to ‘shrink’ making it hard for the brain to function optimally, especially for cognitive tasks such as memory and problem solving. Research shows that these patients may also be at an increased risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
For the purposes of the study the participants received a mixture of the B vitamins B12, folic acid and B6 or placebo, for two years. The results showed that B vitamins appear to slow cognitive decline by reducing this raised homocysteine and equally, due to the duration period, illustrated the ability of B vitamins to intervene in disease progression and development of dementia or alzheimers.

This is just one of many studies that have suggested that B vitamins could help to reduce memory loss as we get older. In fact, previous research has shown that high homocysteine has a direct correlation to low folate (folic acid) or vitamin B12 levels in the blood. As a result improving the body’s provision of these nutrients, including Vitamin B6, can slow the rate of brain shrinking by up to 50% by converting homocysteine into other non-harmful substances.

What can you do to reduce your homocysteine levels?

The good news is that, whatever your homocysteine level is, you can lower it with the right combination of nutrients, dietary and lifestyle changes to reduce your risk.

• Eat less fatty meat, more fish and vegetable protein.
• Eat your greens. Have at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day. Vary your selections from day to day
• Have a clove of garlic a day or take a garlic supplement.
• Don’t add salt to your food
• Cut back on caffeine
• Limit alcohol to four glasses of wine a week or two pints of beer.
• Address your stress levels.
• Stop smoking
• Supplement with a B vitamin complex and a Multivitamin & Mineral combination supplement each day.
• Get exercising at least three times a week
• Balance your hormones, if post-menopausal, with soya foods and herbs such as black cohosh.
• For extra memory support consider well-researched natural supplements such as gingko biloba and 1000mg of Fish Oils.

*where neither the researchers nor the participants knew whether they were being given the placebo or the B vitamins.

Chocolate and Red Wine Make You Smarter

Scientists have come to the conclusion that a limited amount of dark chocolate and red wine consumed together may actually be good for the brain, enhancing its capacities of resolving complex matters.

Recent studies led by a research team of experts at Northumbria University Medical School in North East of England. The starting theory was that polyphenols affect the brain's capacity to function. And they wanted to check if it was true and how it happens. So they gathered a group of volunteers of different ages and intelligence state. They asked every participant to take a supplement of polyphenols found in wine and then they gave them a series of tests. In addition they did brain scans to all volunteers in order to see if there was any change at a neural level.

What they found out confirmed their suspicion: there is a connection between the level of polyphenols in the brain and the brain's activity. Polyphenols increased the brain activity, pumping more blood into the vessels. This is how they work actually. They relax the blood vessels, making them wider and thus increasing their capacity. This way, blood runs faster through the veins and gets faster to the brain, as well. The relaxing of the vessels inside the brain not only increases the amount of blood in the head, by also the amount of oxygen and other nutrients, which are highly important to the brain.

Polyphenols can be taken as supplements, but they can also be found in some foods, among which there are the dark chocolate and the red wine. They work well separately, but work even better when tasted together. Scientists warn, however, that a small quantity was all it took and that this shouldn't be used as an excuse to over do it. (there's always one isn't there)
The studies have shown that polyphenol consumption does not increase intelligence in young people as they seem to have the brain already working at full capacity. (Every parent knows that teenagers are already smarter than everyone else) However, polyphenols helped widening their blood vessels in the brain, too. Instead, there have been differences registered in older people who seem to benefit more from eating chocolate and drinking wine.

At last!