How to Improve Brain Memory
Memory is a function of the brain that sometimes might need improvement. There are many people who miss the memory power they once had and wonder how to improve brain memory fast.
Some people just need this because they feel their memory has damaged once they got older and others simply know that they can do better. If you are interested in how to improve memory fast, you must know that you can do this naturally and effectively.
There are many answers to the question “how to improve brain memory fast and safe”. Dietary choices, exercise, herbal supplements and “mind games” can help you achieve your goal.
In order to find out how to improve brain memory fast, you have to know which the elements that help your brain perform its functions properly are. Memory is stimulated by oxygen and nutrients. Both of them reach the brain through the blood stream, so improving your blood circulation is the first thing that you can do if you wonder how to improve brain memory fast.
You can make sure that your circulatory system works well by eating healthy, avoiding fats and exercising regularly. Physical activity, especially the one performed outdoors is also a solution to the problem of how to improve brain memory.
They provide oxygen to the brain and enable it to perform its functions better. While trying to improve memory, you need to stay away from alcohol and caffeine because these are enemies of your brain and your nervous system.
Many people consider that the best answer to how to improve brain memory fast is to use herbal supplements. These indeed can have a great action on your brain and your circulatory system.
The herbs that improve blood flow efficiently and relatively fast are ginseng and Gingko Biloba. Gotu Kola also has the same effect. If you are still looking for solutions on how to improve memory and those mentioned so far don’t seem fast enough for you, rosemary might suit your needs. It has great properties in what concerns the memory and it is probably the herbal remedy with the fastest action.
Those wondering how to improve brain memory fast should also focus on keeping their brain active at all times and in exercising their memory. Puzzles and sudoku puzzles, as well as other games like chess, are great for exercising your mind. They should be performed as often as possible as part of the solution on how to improve brain memory fast.
Memory Enhancement
With all the stresses of work and the pace of life impacting our mental health today, many of us need to find ways to improve concentration, particularly as we get older. As we increasingly notice that dates, names, numbers or other important information slips our minds our need to improve concentration may become apparent.
Unfortunately, we are often left wondering what can be done about it. Too often we shrug our shoulders and just chalk it up to getting older or not enough sleep. While those things definitely have an impact on our memory and concentration there are other potential factors as well.
Things like poor nutrition, lack of exercise and stress all play a part in affecting our mental health. However, the ability to improve concentration is not beyond our reach.
While a lack of concentration may be brought on by many factors, attempting to improve concentration can also take many paths. Exercise and diet changes are a couple of the ways in which some attempt to adjust their mental health.
For those with more serious issues in memory function they sometimes choose to go the route of conventional medicine and drug therapy. These methods may well address a lack of concentration, but they are not without their problems.
Exercise and diet are great, but as most of us have learned at one time or another it is often difficult to maintain the proper regimen long term. As for drug therapy, they can indeed improve concentration, but usually at the cost of difficult, sometimes painful side-effects. As a result, many people are now turning to natural supplements to help them improve concentration.
Recent studies have shown that using various natural supplements rich in certain ingredients can positively affect mental health and improve concentration. This is good news for those suffering from a lack of concentration.
Natural supplements are easy to use, effective and are safer than drugs. Many of the ingredients used in supplements that treat memory and mental health have been in use for quite some time. Ingredients like Ginkgo Biloba, Ginseng, Green Tea and Gotu Kola have well known properties to increase circulation in the brain, heal cellular damage and support memory function.
To enhance the power of such extracts, researchers have found that supplements should also combine vitamins such as the B complex vitamins and minerals such as Zinc, Manganese and Folic Acid. Not only do these necessary vitamins and minerals help general health, but they also can help the body prevent damage by attacking free radicals and stimulating the body’s ability to heal itself.
In addition to all these well known ingredients, some newer supplements are also including more complex compounds, 5-hydroxytryptophan, Acetyl L-Carnitine, Phosphatidyl Choline and DMAE for example. These compounds help the body generate neurotransmitters, increase blood flow to the brain and in general help to improve concentration and memory.
Using a natural supplement to address a lack of concentration is a safe and effective method of dealing with a potentially serious problem. The more effective supplements will offer a wide range of extracts, vitamins, minerals and compounds that are maximized to support brain function and health.
With the growth of the natural remedies marketplace, finding the right supplement is thankfully much easier today than it was even just a few years ago.
Is It Possible To Increase Brain Power And Memory Capacity?
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where somebody is smarter than you and because of that you have felt ashamed? Have you ever been asked a question but someone next to you answered faster and took the all the credit? After the bad feeling has passed do you usually convince yourself that you are just not smart as the other person and that you cannot do anything about it? Well, ask yourself is this true?
Ask yourself what makes a person smarter than you? The logical answer is that his intelligence, brain power and memory capacity are determined by genetic factors. It is simple you will say. His parents were smarter than yours and thus he is smarter than you. But there is a serious fault in this reasoning. If everything is predetermined than how do you explain the cases where geniuses were born in average families? How do you explain the children savants who posses extraordinary abilities?
You might think that the education process has made a difference. But think again. Education today is so limiting and focused on average that it is not possible to use it to improve brain power. Furthermore, it does not stimulate the brain properly to develop and grow because it does not provide the students with proper challenges.
So, if it is not the genetic factors and if it is not the education, what else is there? Somehow, the brain must be different. But this is no physical difference. In the development process, the individual has learned how to use his brain more efficiently.
It might have been accidental or certain activity that the individual performed stimulated the brain enough to increase its power thus influencing intelligence and memory capacity. But it is not important what happened. What is important is that it can be done. People can make changes in their brains and make them work better and faster.
Before you start waving your head in denial you should know that many recent scientific studies have shown that intellectual and mental activities can produce physical changes in the human brain. These changes in Alzheimer’s disease patients slow down the degrading processes, but in healthy individuals increase brain power, boost memory and improve concentration.
However, there is a catch. The intellectual and mental activities that are needed to properly stimulate the brain have to be new i.e. you are not supposed to be used to them.
Fortunately, there are various ways to give your brain a workout and improve memory power and increase concentration, but you should be aware right from the beginning that this will be long and hard process. Start with exercising and socializing. These will prepare your brain for the oncoming changes. Try out new exercises and try to meet new people and make new friends. Start reading books, but stay away from self-help stuff and sleazy short novels.
Play mind games like crossword puzzles, Sudoku, chess etc. If you keep doing these actions your brain will get the stimulation it needs to grow new neural pathways, thus improving your mental abilities.
Memory Improvement Made Easy
Memory improvement techniques are a great help to those of us who suffer from forgetfulness and the resulting chaos in our daily lives. Memory can be defined as the ability to store, retain, and recall information and experiences. This ability to connect individual incidents, names, faces and locations in the context of time and to bring them together in a cohesive whole in the shape of memories is essential to living a full and satisfying life.
Memory Systems and Processes
The brain has three main memory systems: sensory memory, short term memory and long term memory. Sensory memory refers to the ability to accurately retain sensory impressions (visual, auditory and so on) on a short-term basis.
The capacity of sensory memory is approximately twelve items, but it degrades very quickly and it is not possible to improve memory of this type.
Short-term memory (STM) also known as the “primary” or “active memory” refers to the brain’s capacity to hold a small amount of information in an active, readily available state for a short period of time. The short term memory usually holds around seven pieces of data and lasts approximately 12-15 seconds depending on the person.
Finally, there is the long term memory. As the name suggests, this is the information that the brain processes from the short term memory and stores for later use.
Some Helpful Memory Improvement Tips
Most memory development systems work on either the short term or the long term memories and the process by which one is converted into the other. There are a number of easily learnt memory improvement techniques that can help you enhance this process of transferring information from the short-term to the long-term memories.
These include:
Chunking: Chunking is a memory development system that is helpful in increasing the effectiveness of the short-term memory. In Chunking, a person organizes material into meaningful groups so that they are more easily recallable.
For example, when attempting to remember a phone number, rather than trying to remember the entire string of 10 digits, you can group the digits into three chunks: the area code, a three-digit chunk and lastly a four-digit chunk. With constant practice and the usage of existing information in long-term memory, chunking can greatly improve the short-term memory.
Short-term memory improvement exercises: these are simple, fun exercises that act as a sort of memory workout. They help maintain your existing memory levels and also prevent further memory loss.
For instance, play a simple game of match-up. Match-up is an easy single player memory game involving 20 to 40 matched pairs of cards. The game involves shuffling the cards and laying them face down on a table in rows. Once the cards are laid out, flip over a card and try to find its match. If no match is found, flip both cards back, memorize their positions and try again. Continue this process until you have matched up all the cards.
To conclude, our memory is what enables us to recall information that we have learned or experienced, shaping our thoughts and characters and making us who we are. However, age and the stress of everyday life often cause the memory to deteriorate. Memory improvement exercises and techniques help reverse the wear of the memory and keep the brain in top condition.
Memory Exercises
Brain power brings the best in a person not only when it comes to career or education but life as a whole. An agile brain that can learn fast and retain forever, everything that it has grasped is great and would prove invaluable in forging the success path in life.
There are many memory exercises and concentration exercises that give a rigorous workout to the brain and increase the memory power while improving concentration. Here are the time-tested as well as the latest findings, on methods, which anyone with a strong determination and commitment can follow to achieve success: Brain games are fun
There are a number of these memory exercises and improvement games ranging from logical reasoning to analytical reasoning, spatial dilemmas, number games, word riddles and puzzles that can be played both offline and online.
One can play against others or all by themselves and keep it fun and interesting. As one plays more brain games, there is a steady increase in the alertness and analyzing ability of the brain.
Sleep is a must
However, much the deadlines are taking over you, it is important to catch on the required 6-8 hours of sleep. Quality sleep keeps the brain in good working condition while poor sleep has been found to be the cause of not only intellectual failings but also emotional upheavals. Each person has got their own individual needs of quality sleep which needs to be followed religiously.
Fish oil is not to be missed
Fish oil contains Omega-3 fatty acid acids which is a key nutrient in improving the concentration and memory. In case one does not prefer including fish in their diet, it is good to take supplements of fish oil. Moreover, it has been observed that the modern diet falls short in providing the required amount of this nutrient.
Physical exercise works on the mind too
Scientific research has proven that any exercise like running, swimming, cycling, etc which involves intense aerobic activity are found to stimulate the growth of neurons (or brain cells) in the hippocampus region of the brain.
Hippocampus is responsible for emotional responses, strengthening of new memories, and spatial intelligence for navigation. Memory Exercises help in supplying oxygen to the brain making it function even better. It also releases certain chemicals that are very helpful for the functioning of the brain and also protecting its cells from wearing out due to ageing.
Laugh, and the stress is off
Stress leads to memory loss and slow functioning of the brain. It is necessary to intersperse the day with some fun activities that keep stress at bay. Areas in the brain that is responsible for learning and creativity get activated when one gets involved in exciting conversations that are full of wit and humour.
Similarly, nurturing meaningful relationships and spending time with family and hanging out in friendly camaraderie gives lot of cognitive benefits.
Zox Pro is a proven technology for photographic memory see why now Zox Pro is a technology that is found not only to improve mental photography remarkably but also in working out of learning limitations and disabilities like dyslexia, attention deficit disorder (ADD and ADHD) etc.
It helps in improving the rate of reading and assimilating thousands of words (an amazing 25,000 words per minute!) and sharpens both problem solving skills and lateral thinking.
Zox Pro technology works on various fronts by reducing stress levels, enhancing the peripheral vision, reducing the number of hours of sleep that are normally required etc while improving the concentration levels, retention capacity and even overall health of the person.
Ultimately, the secret to making real progress in reaching the full potential of the brain actually lies in taking wilful and strategic steps to improve its capacity and functioning through memory exercises and other techniques.
What Supplements Qualify as Memory Supplements?
There are many types of nutritional supplements that claim to increase your brain power and improve your memory. But which ones really deliver on their promise to work as memory supplements?
I was surprised to find some supplements that have been proven to work that are not very well-known, while one very popular memory supplement has actually have been proven not to work!
Let’s take a look at vitamins, herbs, and other substances that have been clinically proven to enhance memory, as well as increase mental clarity, concentration, and focus.
1. Vitamins
There are many vitamins that have been shown to be helpful for the brain. These usually work by acting as antioxidants, thus relieving oxidative stress on the brain. These include Vitamins B, E, C, D, and coenzyme Q10.
A large French study on 4,500 men and women demonstrated that those who took a multivitamin performed better in long-term memory tests than those who didn’t. So if you are basically healthy and your memory isn’t too bad, taking a good multivitamin should cover your bases.
Two essential vitamins that many people, especially seniors, are deficient in are Vitamins B12 and D. If you have problems with your mood or memory, you might want to ask your doctor to test your levels of these vitamins the next time you are in for a check-up. Both deficiencies are easily treatable with supplementation.
2. Essential Fatty Acids
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) are their own unique nutrition category of supplements for memory. They are found in relatively few food sources: salmon, nuts, flax seed, and coconut oil. It is almost impossible to get enough of them from your food, so consider taking an EFA supplement. Be sure to look for one that has a high ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. The omega-3 is the most important ones for your brain.
There are both vegetable-based (usually flax seed) and fish-based supplements. Fish oils are higher in omega-3’s so are recommended unless you are a vegetarian.
A money saving tip is to buy liquid fish oil to take by the teaspoon instead of capsules. The cost savings is tremendous. I don’t know how it’s done, but some fish oils have added flavouring, like lemon, so they don’t taste bad at all!
3. Herbal Supplements
So far, we’ve covered basic nutrients with established recommended daily allowances – vitamins and essential fatty acids – that everyone should be consuming in adequate amounts for general health and brain health. These are the first line of defence against cognitive decline.
But, if you are looking specifically for a memory booster, consider one of these herbal supplements that have been used traditionally for this purpose for hundreds of years.
Some memory enhancers you will be familiar with from your kitchen are ginger, curcumin, green tea, and rosemary. Other herbs that have been used for enhanced memory included periwinkle, bacopa, yerba mate, ginseng, rhodiala, gotu kola, schisandra, and Chinese club moss. Many of these will help some people some of the time, with one exception you need to know about.
4. The Dilemma of Ginkgo Biloba
If you do any research for an herbal brain supplement, certainly ginkgo biloba will come up. It has been used for centuries for a variety of ailments and is the most popular herbal memory enhancer in the United States. It is even prescribed for that purpose by doctors in Europe.
But you need to be aware that a large, six year study concluded that ginkgo biloba does not enhance brain function or boost memory. The dilemma is deciding whether to believe the latest research or the annals of traditional herbal medicine.
5. Amino Acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, which are called “the building blocks of life”. Many have been found to improve memory, mood, and brain function. Amino acid supplements in this category include phenylalanine, glutamine, taurine, carnosine, theanine, and acetyl-l-carnitine. (You’ll notice these all end in “–ine”, which in organic chemistry indicates an amino acid. You can use this bit of trivia to impress your friends). Amino acids are the precursors to neurotransmitters and endorphins, which are attributed to a host of positive brain states, including feeling focused, attentive, and alert yet calm. Amino acid supplements can help you sleep better at night, quiet your mind chatter, and improve your memory.
6. Making Your Choice
There is a wide variety of natural memory enhancers to choose from. The difficulty for you is in choosing which to try. In addition to single vitamin, herb, essential fatty acid and amino acid supplements, there are products that combine a number of these ingredients. Check out our Product Reviews section where we give you our evaluations and tell you our recommendations.
How Do You Improve Memory by Modifying Your Own Behaviour?
Now, how do you improve memory capabilities? Well, do you realize that it is your own behaviour that occasionally impacts precisely how properly you are able to produce new memories?
The phrase memories not only describes reminiscences from the past also known as your long-term memory, furthermore, it pertains to the short-term memory. An individual’s short-term memory is exactly where you actually hold information like telephone numbers, checklist, names, times, and so on.
Every person can profit from enhancing their memory in order that they may much more quickly bear in mind this sort of information and facts.
Many of the methods that you’ll be able to alter your conduct so that you can enhance your memory are effortless. For example, some study signifies that studying aloud will help one to recall the details which you happen to be learning about far better. For a few persons, speaking and hearing words and phrases can help the details to connect easily inside their head.
Additionally, people’s memory in addition to alcohol has a fascinating connection. Despite the fact that additional research needs to become accomplished, there’s information that light to modest drinking can boost your memory and cognition.
Way too much drinking hindrances the memory yet, some research has discovered that reasonable drinkers perform far better on particular assessments of memory than non-drinkers or intense drinkers.
Furthermore, one of the flavonoids in red-coloured wine which is thought to have special benefits regarding blood vessels and, subsequently, memory, is also found in red grape juices, making this behavioural alter sensible for anyone of all ages.
It is also important to note that when stress, including anxiousness or anger, makes its way into our lives, portions of the brain which are accountable for memory are slowly but surely eaten away.
Depressive disorders are one more way that memory is impacted. Actually, many occasions depressive disorders is misidentified like a memory issue since one of the major symptoms of the condition is definitely an inability to concentrate.
Whenever an individual doesn’t possess the ability to concentrate on their schoolwork or their occupation, generally times they really feel as if they are continually forgetting items.
The real reason they’re so forgetful is due to the fact they’re not in a position to focus for a sufficient amount of time to understand their tasks in the 1st place.
In addition, depression symptoms impact the types of things an individual is ready to bear in mind. Everybody’s brain is picky about which memories make it into long-term storage, but people with depression symptoms may appear to simply be able to remember adverse memories.
An additional way on how do you improve memory is via increasing the quantity which you work out. Physical exercise not only workouts routinely the physique, it physical exercises the mind too.
In order for your brain to operate correctly, it depends on energy obtained by way of a constant consumption of oxygen and nutrients from your bloodstream. When individuals do not provide the right amount of nutrients to the brain, then the brain’s ability to perform is compromised.
A Little Concentration to Improve Your Memory
Mentally focusing upon a little concentration to improve your memory can be very effective. In the end, having a poor memory might be a frustrating issue when it causes challenges like difficulties at work or forgetting things like PIN numbers or products in your to-do listing. But some memory challenges can be enhanced by changing simple points like just how much you pay awareness or concentrate on something.
Does it shock you to learn that 8 seconds could be the quantity of time you have to completely fixate your focus upon something to be able to successfully transfer it from you short for your long-term memory?
Occasionally, the reason that you simply can’t keep in mind something is because you never received the facts into your memory to start with. Everyone has these moments where you put your own car keys or your own eyeglasses down without noticing. Undoubtedly we wind up throwing away much time seeking for that misplaced products down the road.
However, the objects had been lost within the very first place for the reason that our heads were not within the current and were definitely not concentrating on what we were carrying out.
If you can focus on concentration to improve your memory it will help you to keep your mind on the present and genuinely be aware of what you’re performing in the present. One method to focus on even the smallest actions would be to repeat out loud what you’re performing. For example, say aloud, “I am positioning my house keys upon the kitchen counter-top” while you set your car keys down. You ought to also reduce distractions like music, TV or phone calls to allow yourself to concentrate fully on what you’re performing.
Merely concentrating on the current instance will boost your capacity to remember the names of new persons that you simply meet. Normally times when meeting new individuals, we might be a lot more obsessed with how we look plus the impression that we are creating than truly paying out awareness to what the individual is stating.
It is possible to practice your ability to focus by reading a write-up in the newspaper or a magazine after which explaining the article to an individual else. Were you ready to remember all the particulars or do you have to pay much better focus when you’re reading?
Although, writing is really a wealthy and useful medium, our brains don’t very easily encode created details which makes the information and facts we read hard to keep in mind. Just by concentrating a little tougher, you’ll be able to improve within the way that you get on this type of information and facts.
Following watching one of one’s favourite television shows, see in the event you can keep in mind the outfits that different characters wore all through the plan. In case you can remember many of the tiny details, then your memory is getting great exercise.
A number of memory enhancement strategies call for you to believe of entertaining and useful visualizations for incoming data. But, this skill might be useless if you are not concentrating on what you have to remember inside the 1st place.
Some folks scribble items like phone numbers or one-word reminders on Post-It notes to support them to keep in mind items thinking that it is all the data they will require later. But, without concentrating on why you need the data within the initial location and its worth to you, that slip of paper is useless.
A great deal of the information and facts we have to keep in mind in modern day lifestyle is presented in a different way, but, if you can stay focused on concentration to improve your memory, then this should help you to boost your memory and improve your life.
How To Improve The Memory
What most of us refer to as poor memory is in essence poor recollection. Wouldn’t you like to be able to recollect every event in your life in detail? Most people get stuck with a bad memory simply because they do not know how to improve the memory. Though not everyone has a photographic memory, everyone can take steps to improve their memory.
Association:
The first step to improving your memory is to practice memory by association. You may find it hard remembering your friends’ numbers. The reason for this is that you do not see any connection between the number and your friend. What you need to do is to come up with a unique association to your friends’ numbers.
You can do this by asking yourself what those numbers spell. Just use your imagination to come up with a phrase that will be much easier to remember than the numbers. Another method may be to associate whatever information you would like to remember with a memorable image. The more shocking or emotional the image is the better for your memory.
Chunking:
When learning how to improve the memory, chunking may also come in quite handy. It is one of the oldest techniques for memory improvement. Chunking refers to the practice of grouping information together. For example when memorizing a shopping list, you may choose to group the items in terms of similarity such as vegetables, detergent etc.
This way you only need to remember the word vegetables and the rest of the information will flow naturally. Long numbers such as phone numbers may be divided into groups of three or two making them easier to memorize.
Rhyming:
Rhyming is another technique on how to improve the memory. The human brain tends to remember rhymes more easily. Just like chunking, once you remember the first line of the rhyme, your brain is more likely to remember the rest of the information.
Brain exercise:
When it comes to how to improve the memory, exercising your brain can come in handy. It is a proven fact that regular brain exercise can trigger growth of the brain and development of new nerve connections. Nerve connections are essential to memory improvement.
Brain exercise may include puzzles and games that challenge the brain keeping it alert. Aerobic exercise also improves blood circulation to the brain keeping the brain alert and active.
Repetition Learning:
Repeating information over and over again is the basis of memorization. Your brain remembers information depending on how recent it is and the frequency of repetition. This method works best when it comes to studying. This technique is very different from cramming which only stores the information in the short term memory.
Flash cards are an important tool in repetitive learning. Ideally the question is written on one side while the answer is written on the other side.
Eating Right:
Other techniques on how to improve the memory will not work if you are not eating right. Though there are many herbal supplements in the market that are supposed to improve the memory, a healthy diet would probably work much better than any of them.
Bread, cereal, vegetables and fruits contain essential vitamins for proper working of the brain. These vitamins include folic acid, vitamin B12 and thiamine.
Water is also very essential because dehydration generates thought difficulties which can lead to confusion. When your blood sugar drops between meals, your brain and by extension memory may be affected. Therefore, it is better to eat 5 to 6 small meals rather 3 large meals.
The above tips on how to improve memory may not be exhaustive but they are a pretty good place to start your journey to memory improvement.
Memory Enhancement
One of the best ways of improving memory is in taking natural memory supplements. Although, there are mental exercises that can be done in order to boost memory and overall concentration, more and more natural supplements are coming on the market that focus on changing the way that chemicals function in the brain. Many people do not want to take pharmaceutical memory enhancers in the form of doctor-prescribed medication, but are interested in knowing more about natural memory supplements that may work just as well for some people. Since doctor-prescribed medications frequently have the risk of side effects, and often interact with other medications someone is taking, natural supplements might present a good alternative. If two pills have the same effect, and one has fewer side effects, the one with fewer side effects is often the more attractive choice. In this case that would be all-natural memory supplements.
This kind of supplement contains a combination of ingredients that each have their own target in memory enhancement, but also have an overall synergistic effect that any one of the ingredients without the presence of the others cannot produce. Let’s take a closer look at some of the ingredients in herbal supplements for memory enhancement that have such a profound effect on memory and concentration.
Some of the ingredients found in this type of supplement that you might have already heard of are gingko biloba and bilberry. Other ingredients forcefully target memory enhancements are 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan), DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol) and SAMe (S-AdenosylMethionine). Most likely, you haven’t heard of some of these before, but they are some of the key ingredients that make this type of supplement so powerful.
Another notable ingredient in first-rate memory supplements is an extract called Gotu Kola which has been shown to have a great effect on focus and memory. Specifically, Gotu Kola has been found to improve memory, treat previous memory loss and diminish fatigue, which in turn improves concentration. Many herbal supplements for memory enhancement contain this ingredient, but only when it is sufficiently activated in complementation with other ingredients in memory supplements can it have its fullest effect.
Memory Vitamins To Enhance Your Memory Effectively
Many people are taking memory vitamins these days, and you’re probably wondering why exactly everyone’s taking them and also, and most importantly, what it is about these vitamins that make them so-called memory vitamins. You probably heard a lot about using vitamins for general health as a child; Mom always said ‘You have to get your vitamins!’ But Mom never said that vitamins were for memory, she always said they would make you grow and keep you from getting sick. What do the makers of memory vitamins know that Mom didn’t?
Using vitamins for memory has only recently come onto our radar as researchers and alternative health professionals discover more about the effects that vitamins, minerals and herbs can have on memory and other mental capacities. While a multi-vitamin is good for anybody, there are specific vitamins for memory, some of which also positively affect concentration and prolong the amount of time that one is able to focus. However, the most effective way to reap the positive benefits of such memory vitamins is to take them in a cocktail form that includes the vitamins, herbs, extracts and minerals that all work together to get you the best result possible.
Some vitamins for memory are vitamin B1 and vitamin B6 of the B-complex vitamins. However, the best way to reap the memory-enhancing benefits of these vitamins is not to take a B-complex vitamin, the best way is to take a supplement specifically designed to promote memory and cognitive functioning.
While for some, vitamins memory enhancement is virtually a given result, other vitamins need to be activated by other vitamins, herbs and compounds in order to release their beneficial substances. Simply taking memory vitamins based on your knowledge of which vitamins have a beneficial effect on memory may marginally improve your ability to focus, but in order to reap the full benefits of vitamins for memory; you should look into the many supplements that combine the aforementioned B-complex vitamins with other vitamins and herbs.
Prime candidates to be included in such supplements are Gingko Biloba, Gotu Kola and Milk Thistle. Gingko, for example, may help increase blood flow to the brain, assisting with better cognitive function and countering cerebral vascular insufficiency, which is one cause of declining mental powers. In addition to these herbs, there are a whole host of naturally-occurring elements and amino acids that can be added to supplements to maximize their memory-enhancing power. One of these is Dmethyl Amino Ethanol (DMAE) is known to improve mental acuity and sharpness.
This is because DMAE is what is known as a nutritional precursor to acetylcholine. In short, it is needed for the manufacture of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine itself is a key neurotransmitter, crucial for optimal brain functioning.
Of course, with some uses of vitamins memory will be enhanced to a greater degree than with other uses. The key is in taking a memory-enhancing supplement in the way it was designed to be taken. Most dietary supplements do not promise any effect whatsoever if they are taken in doses different from those prescribed for the appropriate age and sex of the person in question. If you’d like to see some positive changes in your recall and an increased ability to function and to focus, memory vitamins and nutrients might be just the thing you’re looking for.
Food to Enhance Memory
Memorization techniques are not the only things essential for memory retention; we also need to have sufficient nutrients to make our brain work properly. These include classes of fats, carbohydrates, vitamins that are present in certain foods. Try including these foods in your everyday diet to improve your brain function.
Fish
Fish are rich in omega -3-fatty acids that are not only good for the heart but for the brain as well. DHA (decosahexaenoic acid) is an example of fatty acid found in the fish that enhance the functioning of the brain’s neurons. Also, this is very effective not only for adults but most importantly for kids whose brains are still developing.
Dark Leafy Vegetables
Dark leafy vegetables are not only a good source of insoluble fibre but of foliate as well. Folic acid protects the brain breaking down and lowering the level of homocysteine. Homocystein is an amino acid which is known to cause death of neurons. Also, it is important to know that foliate can be deactivated if the vegetables are cooked too well.
Broccoli
Broccoli is not only packed with folic acid but also with Vitamin K which is known to enhance cognitive function.
Fruits rich in Vitamin E and C
Fruits rich in vitamin E and C such as apricot and avocados are good for the brain because it contains large amount of antioxidants which may protect the brain from conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Peanut butter
Our morning peanut butter sandwich is packed with healthy fats and Vitamin E which are both good for the brain.
Sage
Sage contains essential oils that are beneficial for the brain. Also it is known to enhance memory function.
Red Wine
Red wine contains resveratrol, which can protect the brain from disease such as Alzheimer’s.
Berries
Strawberries, blue berries and black berries have been found to help prevent age-related cognitive decline. Plus, berries are packed with antioxidants which protects the body and the brain from harmful free radicals.
Ginger may help enhance memory
Ginger isn’t just a spice! In addition to ginger’s already-known health-boosting properties such as reducing motion sickness and nausea, having a soothing effect on the digestive tract and being a common remedy for colds, ginger can also help to support memory and cognitive function in middle-aged women.
Recent studies on how nature’s foods and natural medicines found in plants can help to improve memory and boost cognitive ability found herbs such as ginger to be a potentiating agent for cognitive functions.
Researchers considered 60 healthy women who received either a placebo or a ginger standardised extract of 400 milligrams or 800 milligram daily for two months. The women were between 50 and 60 of age and reside in Thailand.
The women’s cognitive function and memory at the beginning of the study and again after one and two months of supplementation was assessed.
In the study, published in 2012 issue of the Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the subjects receiving the ginger supplement reported a significant improvement in cognitive functions and an enhanced working memory compared to the placebo group.
They found that daily ginger intake, especially at higher amount, led to improvements in four key brain functions: power of attention, accuracy of attention, speed of memory, and quality of memory.
The researchers concluded that, “ginger extract enhances both attention and cognitive processing capabilities of healthy, middle-aged women, with no side effects reported. Our data revealed that ginger extract is a potential brain tonic to enhance cognitive function for middle-aged women.” However, the researchers stated that the precise underlying mechanism and possible active ingredient responsible for the cognitive enhancing effect of ginger still require further investigation.
Moreover, the researchers stated that the use of ginger in enhancing memory and improve cognitive function should be performed with caution because of the possibility of the extract also possibly interacting with medications.
The main active constituents found in ginger are gingerols and shogaols. Gingerols and shogaols are extracted from the rhizome of ginger and are known to exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumour activities A human’s ability to remember data, to reason, and understand things properly can start to worsen at age 45.
Identifying cognitive decline onset is crucial for effective medical interventions. The earlier cognitive deterioration can be spotted; the better medical treatments tend to be.
But oxidative stress plays a very important role on stress-induced cognitive impairment, something that apparently can be reduced by certain plants as ginger.
Meanwhile, ginger in Chinese medicine is used to treat a number of conditions, including congestion to cancer treatment and prevention. Individuals suffering from thyroid problems may find that the compounds in ginger, including zinc, magnesium and potassium, along with the root’s powerful anti-inflammatory properties have a positive effect on thyroid function.
The Whole Foods Encyclopaedia indicated that ginger contains magnesium, which has been shown to be critical to controlling thyroid disease. Magnesium helps with muscle relaxation and prevents the development of an irregular heartbeat.
Natural Memory Improvement
Long term memory refers to information kept in the mind either consciously or unconsciously that can be recalled when needed. It is a product of short term memories that are continuously recalled and regularly reconnected.
It can be divided into declarative memory which is stored consciously and the procedural memory which is stored unconsciously. We apply our mental faculties every day, and it is imperative upon active beings to always recall.
However, people may lose the ability to remember things accurately as they age, or owing to their dietary habits, or as a result of accidents etc. Here we are going to learn on how you can improve your long term memory with a few memory improvement tips.
Dietary coffee has been found to possess naturally occurring bioactive that reverse age related memory wane. Caffeine that is found in coffee has also been found to enhance memory for up to 24 hours after it is consumed.
Vitamins B6, B9 and B12 have been lauded as long memory enhancers by studies. Eat foods that are rich in them. The antioxidants are another useful group of vitamins that help break down free radicals and in that way they protect the human brain tissues.
Sleep is helpful in the gelling of recently encoded info. Sleep has also been shown to be necessary in the purging of toxins accumulated as a result of a hard day’s thinking!
When a person is depressed, the brain is triggered to release a certain chemical called Cortisol that is adverse to its normal functioning and memory.
The brain, like muscles, becomes more effective when exercised. Put your brain to task! Research indicates a correlation between exercising the brain and mental ability. For higher mental power and a good memory, one is supposed to be involved in intellectually engaging activities like writing, reading, Puzzles and playing intellect stimulating games like Chess, Luminosity etc.
There is an interesting relationship between a work-out routine and a virile mind; a healthy body means a vibrant mind! Exercises help in regulating blood sugar levels and blood sugar levels determine the size of the hippocampus which is in part responsible for memory.
Secondly, a work out helps in the functions of the cardiovascular system, which in turn translates to blood rich in oxygen being pumped to the brain.
This sounds crazy but research shows that chewing gum while learning a new thing is wont to make you recall it faster. The rationale given to this assertion is that chewing increases activity at the hippocampus, a part of the brain concerned with information retention.
Berries have been found to be rich in flavanoids that are believed to be responsible for the strengthening of existing connections in the brain. These too are thought to enhance long term memory.