Memory Loss, Foods That Matter in Memory Improvement!

What is  Memory Loss?  Memory Improvement

Memory loss (amnesia) is unusual forgetfulness. You may not be able to remember new events, recall one or more memories of the past, or both. The memory loss may be for a short time and then resolve (transient). Or, it may not go away, and, depending on the cause, it can get worse over time. Memory Improvement

There are many types of memory loss, it could be natural as our bodies age, or it could be due to external man-made factors.

Types of Memory:

Memory actually takes many different forms. We know that when we store a memory, we are storing information. But, what that information is and how long we retain it determines what type of memory it is.

The biggest categories of memory are short-term memory (or working memory) and long-term memory, based on the amount of time the memory is stored. Both can weaken due to age, or a variety of other reasons and clinical conditions that affect memory.

There are two major categories of memory: long-term memory and short-term memory.

1. Long-Term Memory:

Long-term memory is our brain’s system for storing, managing and retrieving information.

2. Short-Term Memory:

Closely related to “working” memory, short-term memory is the very short time that you keep something in mind before either dismissing it or transferring it to long-term memory.

What are The Causes of Memory Loss?

• Normal aging can cause some forgetfulness: It is normal to have some trouble learning new material or needing more time to remember it. But normal aging does not lead to dramatic memory loss. Such memory loss is due to other diseases.
• Memory loss can be caused by many things: To determine a cause, your health care provider will ask if the problem came on suddenly or slowly.
• Many areas of the brain help you create and retrieve memories: A problem in any of these areas can lead to memory loss.

 

Memory loss may result from a new injury to the brain, which is caused by or is present after:

• Brain tumor.
• Cancer treatment, such as brain radiation, bone marrow transplant, or chemotherapy
  Concussion or head trauma.
• Not enough oxygen getting to the brain when your heart or breathing is stopped for too long
  Severe brain infection or infection around the brain.
• Major surgery or severe illness, including brain surgery.
• Transient global amnesia (sudden, temporary loss of memory) of unclear cause
  Transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke.
• Hydrocephalus (fluid collection in the brain).

Sometimes,

Memory Loss Occurs With Mental Health Problems, Such as:

• After a major, traumatic, or stressful event.
• Bipolar disorder.
• Depression or other mental health disorders, such as schizophrenia.

 

Memory loss may be a sign of dementia. Dementia also affects thinking, language, judgment, and behavior.

Common types of dementia associated with memory loss are:

• Alzheimer disease.
• Lewy body dementia.
• Fronto-temporal dementia.
• Progressive supranuclear palsy.
• Normal-pressure hydrocephalus.
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (mad cow disease).

Other causes of memory loss include:

• Alcohol or use of prescription or illegal drugs.
• Brain infections such as Lyme disease, syphilis, or HIV/AIDS.
• Overuse of medicines, such as barbiturates or (hypnotics).
• ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) (most often short-term memory loss).
• Epilepsy is not well controlled.
• An illness that results in the loss of, or damage to brain tissue or nerve cells, such as Parkinson’s.
• Disease, Huntington disease, or multiple sclerosis.
• Low levels of important nutrients or vitamins, such as low vitamin B1 or B12.

How is Malnutrition Synonymous With Memory Loss?

Becoming forgetful as people age seems like a natural thing, but while brain power declines as a result of the aging process, it is not necessarily something that is beyond our control. For most people, lapses in memory are simply caused by inadequate nutrition affecting brain function.

The question is, how is malnutrition synonymous with memory loss?

To put it simply, just as all the organs and cells in our bodies depend on nutrients to function normally, so do our brains and nerve cells (neurons) need certain kinds of nutrients to be able to transmit and process thoughts, memories, and other impulses. Malnutrition is when we do not get enough of the nutrients we need and cannot supply enough fuel to our cells, including those in our brain.

As we age,

our metabolism slows down, resulting in improper absorption of nutrients into our cells. Aside from hampering cell function, this weakens the cells’ defenses against harmful free radicals and also impedes the ability to grow new cells. Free radicals themselves kill off brain cells and neurons through oxidation and contribute to memory loss.

To counter this metabolic deficiency and free radical damage, adults need the right kind of nutrition, particularly a well-balanced diet that includes necessary brain nutrients such as:

1. Choline and B vitamins.

Choline is a B vitamin that is naturally found in foods like eggs, meats, whole grains, and fish. It is considered a precursor to acetylcholine (ACh), the most common neurotransmitter in the brain that carries nerve impulses, making brain function possible.

Studies show that people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease have low levels of acetylcholine, which is evidence of its importance to memory. Aside from choline, a complex of B vitamins is also necessary for the synthesis of neurotransmitter chemicals. Aging slows down our natural ability to synthesize these neurotransmitters, thus the need for increasing the amount of choline and B vitamins in the adult diet.

2. Omega 3 fatty acids:

Clinical studies of elderly patients who regularly ate fish rich in Omega 3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) developed fewer brain lesions than people who did not. These tiny lesions that can be seen using an MRI brain scan can cause cognitive problems and dementia, and can even lead to stroke. It is therefore important to include types of fish that are rich in Omega 3 in your diets, such as tuna, salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, and anchovies.

3. Antioxidants:

Antioxidants are the cells’ main defense against free radical damage linked to aging and many degenerative diseases. The physical damage caused by free radicals, which can also be seen in brain scans, is seen to correlate with the degree of memory loss, especially in patients with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

The most common antioxidants are vitamins C and E, but there are many others that can be found in fruits like grapes, berries, plums, and oranges, as well as in vegetables like spinach, broccoli, beets, onion, and brussels sprouts.

Not,

Having these essential brain nutrients in your diet does not give you enough protection against age-related memory impairment-showing how malnutrition is synonymous with memory loss. If you cannot get enough of these nutrients from the food you eat, taking supplements is a good alternative.

Here’re 15 Foods That Help Slow Memory Loss: 

Good nutrition is a vital part of living a healthy lifestyle. The effects of eating right, along with physical activity are many, not the least of which is optimal brain performance. 

Having a diet rich in foods that are known to boost memory is an easy and healthy way to get the most out of your brain while also being quite beneficial to your body.

Some foods that can keep your brain healthy and enhance your concentration and memory power:

1. Blueberries And Strawberries:

•  Blueberries and Strawberries are useful for brain booster.
• Numerous studies have been done on blueberries and have shown that it works wonders when it comes to keeping the brain healthy and improving memory.
• Blueberries and strawberries are rich in antioxidant compounds called anthocyanin, which is a powerful ingredient for boosting memory.
• Blueberries also have other important ingredients that can keep your brain healthy and protected from trouble. Memory Improvement

2. Spanish is,

• High in folic acid and can not only prevent memory loss but can also reverse the process.
• This is a powerful ingredient that is used in supplements against Alzheimer’s disease.
• A simple intake of half a cup of cooked spinach every day can meet your daily requirements of folic acid.

3. Eggs are:

• Rich in choline which is the main chemical requirement for optimal brain health and function. 
• Deficiency in choline contributes to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. 
• A few other foods that contain choline are liver, sardines, peanuts, and soybeans. Memory Improvement

4. Oily Fish:

Tucking into a few portions of oily fish think salmon, mackerel, fresh tuna, or sardines, has been found to help boost levels of omega-3 fatty acids, in particular, ones called DHA and EPA.

These are essential for maintaining nerve cells in the hippocampus of the brain’s key memory center. People have been using fish oil rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for their beneficial effects on the brain. Memory Improvement

• Studies have shown that the intake of these essential fatty acids improves overall brain function, boosts IQ, and improves visual processing.
• There is also a significant cardiovascular benefit as well.
• Due to concern about mercury levels, though, it is recommended that you limit the intake of fish to no more than twice a week.

5. Nuts and Seeds:

Almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and other certain nuts and seeds contain vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids which are the perfect food for memory. You can sprinkle nuts on your salad or bowl of cereal, or you can have them as snacks.

6. Grapes:

It does not matter whether you choose red, green, or black; all of them have a good amount of anthocyanin and quercetin in them. Red wine can also give you a high concentration of phytochemicals, provided that you consume them in a limited amount. Memory Improvement

7. Green Leafy Vegetables:

Green Leafy Vegetables, (spinach, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, and broccoli) are some green leafy vegetables rich in vitamin E, an antioxidant vitamin that may help protect neurons or nerve cells in the brain.

Plus, many green leafy vegetables are also high in folate which food scientists believe helps to lower levels of homocysteine, an amino-acid in which high levels have been linked to the breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. Including green vegetables in your diet is recommended for memory improvement.

8. Onion:

• Red onion can give you high levels of quercetin and anthocyanin, which again are considered as an age-old remedy to boost memory.
• Yellow and white onions also have a high concentration of quercetin.

9. Honey:

This natural sweetener is a good source of calcium, iron, vitamin C, as well as antioxidants. These antioxidants help in removing the free radicals from our body, prevent loss and damage to cells, minimize anxiety, and improve your memory.

10. Apple, 

• Apple contains a powerful antioxidant that has been observed to guard against Alzheimer’s disease.
• It has high levels of quercetin, which is a powerful ingredient to increase memory.
• This antioxidant ingredient can be found in the flesh of the apple, but most part of this can be found in the skin.

11. Banana is:

• A very good source of dietary fibers and very good food for the brain.
• It has also potassium that boosts our brainpower and greatly helps in our learning ability.
• Eating a banana daily especially when we are stressed helps to normalize our heartbeat, meaning it regulates the supply of oxygen in the brain and it also regulates the water balance in our body.

12. Avocado is:

• Rich in vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids. This means that it’s another great brain-boosting food.
• Some people have put off the avocado fruit ( it is a fruit, not a vegetable) because it is high in fat.
• But it’s important to remember that the fats in it are of the healthy, monounsaturated variety.

 

In fact, these MUFAs are also instrumental in boosting heart health and lowering blood pressure, both issues that have been linked to the development of dementia, particularly vascular dementia.

13. Peanut butter:

Peanut butter and peanuts are rich in vitamin E, so it’s a good food to include. Watch out for the varieties that have lots of added sugar in them as that will reduce the health benefits.

14. Sweet Potatoes are Rich in: 

• Vitamin B6, carbohydrates, as well as vitamin c and beta-carotene.
• Carbohydrates are used by your brain for energy.
• Vitamin C and beta-carotene are excellent antioxidants that help protect your brain cells from free radicals that can damage them over time.

15. Dark Chocolate: 

You might be surprised to see this one on here as chocolate seems to be the enemy. But it’s not necessarily true with dark chocolate. Amazingly, if your dark chocolate is 60% cocoa or more, you can receive a lot of great health benefits. 

Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants but also contains natural brain stimulants that can help increase your focus as well as your concentration. 

Summing Up:

Losing memory is inevitable but we can try to slow down the process. The crux is keeping the brain healthy. If we maintain a healthy body by exercising, eating well, and resting enough, we do the same for our brain too!

Exercising the brain means stimulating it. Think constantly, absorbing new knowledge; both activities increase the blood flow to the brain and may even witness new cells growing. Have a good healthy diet can improve sluggishness. It is a myth that older people do not need as much sleep as youths.

Lack of sleep affects remembering and stress affects sleep in the long run. It is a vicious cycle so finding ways to lower the level of stress will help you sleep and that should help you focus and improve memory.

If you find this article useful, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family, as you might help someone in need. Thanks. Memory Improvement

Disclaimer: “Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment for any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor.”

Sources

 

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