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Lifestyle Changes Help Improve Memory at Any Age

Rallie McAllister, M.D., M.P.H.

One of the most unsettling things about growing older is the prospect of growing more forgetful.

Regardless of your age, some forgetfulness is perfectly normal. After all, it would be inefficient for your brain to retain every fact and figure you've learned throughout your life.

As you get older, however, episodes of forgetfulness tend to become more frequent. Normal memory loss is thought to occur because of several age-related changes in the brain.

Starting in our 20s, blood flow to the brain typically becomes less robust. To make matters worse, we gradually begin to lose brain cells -- a few at a time.

We also produce fewer of the neurochemicals that our brains need to function optimally, making cell-to-cell communication less efficient. With time, these changes can begin to have noticeable effects on memory.

The good news is that there are a few steps we can take to offset these changes. A substantial body of scientific evidence supports the notion that staying active can helps folks stay mentally sharp well into their golden years.

After reviewing research conducted over a 40-year period, University of Illinois researchers found a strong, positive association between lifelong physical activity and cognitive function. The brain-protecting benefits of regular exercise appear to last several decades, reducing the risk of dementia in later years.

Physical activity is thought to improve cognitive function by enhancing the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. It also helps offset the negative effects of stress hormones, which are known to impair the ability to concentrate, learn, and remember.

Exercise is beneficial at any age, and it's never too late to start. The results of a study involving more than 2,200 men between the ages of 71 and 93 revealed that those who walked less than a quarter-mile per day were nearly twice as likely to develop dementia as men who walked two or more miles daily.

When it comes to improving cognitive function, mental exercise is just as beneficial as physical exercise. Acquiring a new skill, whether it's learning a second language or taking up knitting, helps boost the brain's ability to learn and remember by improving cell-to-cell communication within the central nervous system.

Memorization is a simple but surprisingly effective way to combat age-related memory loss. Researchers at the University College in Dublin recently found that elders who engaged in an intensive period of rote learning followed by an equally long period of rest showed significant improvements in memory and verbal recall.

Sleep plays an active role in the consolidation and storage of memories and improves the brain's ability to retrieve information. When researchers at Harvard Medical School studied the influence of sleep on memory in healthy adults, they found that participants who slept between learning and testing had the highest rates of word recall.

While it's a good idea to strive for seven to nine hours of sleep each night, napping is also beneficial in terms of enhancing memory. The results of a study recently published in the journal Nature Neuroscience showed a 90-minute daytime nap helps speed up the process of long-term memory consolidation.

Researchers found that when subjects took a 90-minute snooze shortly after learning a task, they showed distinct improvements in the performance of that task compared to subjects who were not allowed to nap after learning.

The results of a study published in the November 2007 issue of the medical journal Neurology confirmed the theory that diets plays an important role in brain health. After examining the diets of more than 8,000 adults over the age of 65, researchers found that those who regularly consumed omega-3-rich oils, such as canola oil and flaxseed oil, had a 60 percent lower risk of dementia compared to those who didn't. People who ate fruits and vegetables daily had a 30 percent lower risk of developing dementia compared to those whose diets were less wholesome.

In addition to a healthy diet, taking a few key dietary supplements may help boost brainpower. The results of a study published in the medical journal Psychopharmacology demonstrated that healthy, middle-age volunteers taking a combination of 60 milligrams ginkgo biloba and 100 milligrams of panax ginseng twice daily for 12 weeks had significant improvements in both short-term and long-term memory.

While many age-related changes are inevitable, some aspects of brain health and function are within your control. You're never too young -- or too old -- to begin practicing a few brain-boosting strategies.

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Rallie McAllister is a board-certified family physician, speaker and the author of several books, including "Healthy Lunchbox: The Working Mom's Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim." Her website is www.rallieonhealth.com. To find out more about Rallie McAllister, M.D., and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

Source:
Your Health
ArcaMax Publishing
http://www.arcamax.com