The good news is that the birth of new nerve cells in the brain is an ongoing process throughout our lifespans. Rejuvenating your mem­ory or preventing decline in cognitive functions in the first place requires a holistic approach to a healthy lifestyle that considers proper nutrition and beneficial supplementation, mental and physi­cal exercise, and stress management.

We must reject the notion that memory decline is a natural con­sequence of aging. A person’s memory should function at optimal levels well into old age. Simple memory deficits, if not addressed, can worsen over time. We must act now to keep our minds sharp.

Mental maintenance is a “use it or lose it” proposition. You must make a commitment to continually learn new information, to under­take new physical challenges, and to endeavor to remain open to new experiences. In the Reboot Your Brain program for preventing memory loss that follows, you will find the most important nutrients for your brain, the best ways to challenge your mental muscles, and the most effective ways to reduce the stress that can adversely affect your memory.

Exercise
The brain is nourished by blood, so it should come as no surprise that physical activity that promotes circulation is beneficial in pre­venting memory loss and mental fogginess. Changes in the body can adversely affect the brain, as one study involving male twins demon­strated. Tests showed that high blood pressure in men during midlife was a clear marker for increased brain aging, and led to an elevated chance of stroke later in life. The male twins with high blood pres­sure, when assessed twenty-five years later, had smaller brain vol­umes and increased strokes when compared to their twin brothers with normal blood pressure.

Stress
Chronic stress—those day-to-day, irritating occurrences that con­tinue to build up in our bodies—causes the body to release cortisol into the bloodstream. Cortisol then travels through the circulatory system to the brain, where it begins wreaking havoc on the hippo­campus.
As we age, our bodies find it more difficult to signal to the adrenal gland that it should stop producing cortisol. Prolonged exposure to stress then leads to the loss of brain cells in the memory center. Dr. Sonia Lupien at McGill University has shown that the higher our cortisol levels are as we age, the higher the incidence of severe memory loss we suffer.

Music
Exposure to certain types of music, especially classical music, pro­duces transient increases in cognitive performance. One report examined a group of healthy elderly people and Alzheimer’s dis­ease patients to determine the effects of listening to an excerpt of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. The results of the study showed that listening to music enhanced the patients’ ability to pay attention.

Mental Exercise
The best way to keep your memory skills strong is to use them. Memorizing dates, lists, and even telephone numbers can help keep your mind sharp as you age. The practice of construction and reconstruction of knowledge is critical to memory, so learning new skills stimulates your brain, too. Keep your brain entertained and engaged by practicing cross­word or jigsaw puzzles, doing word search and brainteaser puzzles, or playing board games or card games. Learn a second language, take up a musical instrument, or take a college course online.

Providing your brain with a healthy body, good nutrients, and a stress-free environment is important. Challenging your memory and continuing the lifelong process of learning is critical to prevent short-term memory loss as you age. Learning and storing new information may help prevent memory decline. Practice memory skills to enhance learning and improve your recall.

• Relax: Tension and stress cause short-term memory failure.
• Concentrate: Pay attention as you are receiving new infor­mation; you’ll be surprised at how much more you retain.
• Focus: Reduce distractions when you are involved in new undertakings that require concentration.
• Slow down: It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to learn something; it’s the acquisition of new information, not the speed with which you acquire it, that’s important.
• Follow a routine: Put important items, such as keys, in the same place each time.
• Organize: Knowing where important information is can reduce stress; storing vital information in a visible place may be enough to trigger your memory without even having to look.
• Write it down: Write down important things; keep lists.
• Repeat: Repetition improves recall; use it, especially when learning names.
• Visualize: A strong link to a visual clue can improve mem­ory; use landmarks to help you find places.

Foods and Memory Loss
The nutrients present in the food you eat are the building blocks for neurotransmitters, the main network of communication in your brain. It’s an easy correlation to make: If you don’t nourish your brain with the proper foods, the health of the neurotransmitters will be compromised.

A good maxim to remember is “What works for the heart, works for the head.” When planning a brain-healthy diet, remember that, like your heart, your brain needs oxygen, it needs to be blood-rich in anti­oxidants and vital nutrients, and it needs glucose for energy. Processed sugars, simple carbohydrates, fast foods, alcohol, and artery-clogging saturated fats are as bad for your mind as they are for your body.

Foods rich in the omega-3 fatty acids found in green leafy vegeta­bles, walnuts, chia seeds, and flax seeds, as well as unrefined complex carbohydrates, high-quality proteins, and fruits rich in antioxidants, such as blueberries, blackberries, and prunes, are the basic ingredients for a diet that promotes a healthy body and a healthy mind.

The Latest Research
Research presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 64th Annual Meeting in April 2012 by scientists at Mayo Clinic Study of Aging illuminated the association between overeating and memory loss. Measuring mild cognitive impairment among 1,233 seniors ages seventy and above, the researchers discovered that those seniors who consumed between 2,143 and 6,000 calories per day more than doubled their risk of suffering from memory loss and other manifestations of mild cognitive impairment compared to those who consumed 600 to 1,526 calories daily.

Sugar intake and brain function were the subject of a recent study by scientists at UCLA. The researchers found that rats given a diet high in fructose performed poorly in tests using mazes that were designed to assess memory and learning. In addition to being fed a fructose-enriched diet, some rats were fed omega-3 fatty acids in the form of flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA); this group completed the tests much more quickly than did the rats not given omega-3s, suggesting that healthy fats may counteract the harmful effects of sugar on brain health.

The benefits of consuming berries were examined in a 2012 article appearing in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The article noted that fruits including blueberries, blackberries, strawberries have been shown extensively in the scientific literature to help boost brain health in a number of ways. The authors noted that the high quantities of antioxidant compounds found in berries effectively prevent inflammation in the brain from damage by neutralizing free radicals. Further, they explain that berries can positively impact neural signaling pathways of communication in the brain, helping to stave off inflammation and boost cognition.

Supplements
Vitamins and Minerals
Certain vitamins and minerals may provide protection against mem­ory loss.

Vitamin E. In one study, researchers examined the possibility that vitamin E and other antioxidants could protect against neurodegen­erative diseases. The longitudinal study was conducted on 2,889 community residents, between the ages of 65 and 102 years.

Those monitored had their cognitive function measured by being told a long and detailed story and then being asked to recall items that were paired together. Those in the survey who had taken the highest amounts of vitamin E performed best on the cognitive tests. Based on the results of specific tests given the study’s participants, the report concluded that vitamin E intake from foods or supple­ments is associated with less cognitive decline with age. I recommend increasing your daily vitamin E supplement from 268 milligrams to 536 milligrams. Do not exceed 536 milligrams daily.

Vitamin C. A powerful antioxidant, vitamin C plays a key role in maintaining healthy nerve cells in the brain. Vitamin C can reduce and reverse oxidative damage to tissues caused by free radicals, and vitamin C’s immune system–enhancing capabilities are also well known. It has the ability to regenerate oxidized levels of vitamin E in the body, thus enhancing the potency of that vitamin. I recom­mend a daily dosage of 1,000 to 5,000 milligrams, taken twice daily.

Folate (Vitamin B9). A recent nationwide health and nutrition survey reported that grain products fortified with the B vitamin folate could help reduce memory loss in the over-sixty age group. A study linking the level of homocysteine (an amino acid found in the blood) with the level of B vitamin intake demonstrated that older adults with low vitamin B intake (in particular, folate) showed ele­vated blood homocysteine levels and suffered from a greater degree of memory loss than those with sufficient vitamin B intake. In fact, the participants in the study who had proper folate levels appeared to be immune to memory loss, even when their homocysteine levels were elevated.

In another study, researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston looked at the correlation between high homocysteine levels and memory loss. The subjects whose blood folate levels were highest seemed immune to memory loss, even though their homocysteine levels were elevated. The report suggested that consuming grain products fortified with folate may reduce memory loss in people over sixty, although it makes more sense to consume large amounts of vegetables, which naturally contain abundant amounts of folate.

I recommend that your daily B-complex vitamin contain at least 800 micrograms of folic acid.

Lecithin and Choline. Lecithin is manufactured in the body and found in many animal- and plant-based foods, such as eggs, liver, pea­nuts, soybeans, wheat germ, and brewer’s yeast. It is often found as an additive in processed foods, such as ice cream and salad dressing.

Lecithin is a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and has a positive effect on cerebral and memory functions. Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have shown that patients with mild cognitive disorders showed clear improvement when lecithin was given to them.

A key component of lecithin, phosphatidylcholine, is broken down in the body and becomes choline, a building block of ace­tylcholine, a key neurotransmitter that plays an important role in memory. Levels of acetylcholine are known to decline with age, and studies have shown that supplementation with choline— which can also be found in liver, egg yolks, peanuts, cauliflower, soybeans, cabbage, and grape juice—can improve memory and learning. I recommend increasing your daily lecithin supplement from 1 gram to 2.5 grams for men and 2 grams for women. Take in two divided doses, and do not exceed a daily supplement of 2.5 grams for men or 2 grams for women.

Iron. Studies have shown that iron deficiency may be linked to prob­lems with short-term memory. Iron is crucial in building brain neu­rotransmitter activity, and can be found in foods and supplements. Iron should be taken with vitamin C to improve absorption. Consult with your doctor about adding iron supplements to your daily regimen.

Smart Drugs and Nutrients
A number of other naturally occurring nutrients may have beneficial impacts on memory loss.

DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol). This nutrient, found in sardines, is a powerful stimulant that increases acetylcholine levels. Acetylcholine is an important neurotransmitter in the brain. It plays a role in mem­ory, concentration, and focus. I recommend increasing your daily. DMAE supplement from 150 milligrams to 300 milligrams. Consult your physician before taking heavy doses of DMAE.

N-acetylcysteine (NAC). This amino acid protects the brain from damaging free radicals by boosting quantities of glutathione, one of the body’s most powerful antioxidants. I recommend a supplement of 500 milligrams taken three times daily.

Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NADH). An enzyme that helps improve neurotransmitter function, NADH is present in all living cells and plays a critical role in energy production. It helps prevent cellular degeneration and may increase concentration and memory capacity. I recommend a supplement of 2.5 milligrams taken twice a day for two or three days of the week.

Phosphatidylserine (PS). PS helps the brain use fuel more effi­ciently. By boosting neuronal metabolism and stimulating produc­tion of acetylcholine, PS may be able to improve the condition of patients in cognitive decline. Studies have revealed that supplement­ing with phosphatidylserine slows down and even reverses declining memory and concentration, or age-related cognitive impairment, in middle-aged and elderly subjects.

As we grow older, aging slows the body’s manufacturing of phosphatidylserine to levels that are detrimental to our functioning at our full mental capacity. For impact on memory loss, I recom­mend increasing your daily PS supplement from 300 milligrams to 400 milligrams. Do not exceed a daily supplement of 400 milligrams.

An internationally renowned expert in the field of health and nutrition, Gary Null, Ph.D is the author of over 70 best-selling books on healthy living and the director of over 100 critically acclaimed fullfeature documentary films on natural health, self-empowerment and the environment. He is the host of “The Gary Null Show”, the country’s longest running nationally syndicated health radio talk show, which can be heard daily on ProgressiveRadioNetwork. com. Gary has made hundreds of radio and television broadcasts throughout the country as an environmentalist, consumer advocate, investigative reporter and nutrition educator. More than 28 different Gary Null television specials have appeared on PBS stations throughout the nation, inspiring and motivating millions of viewers. He originated and completed more than one hundred major investigations on health issues resulting in the use of material by 20/20 and 60 Minutes.