7 Quick Tricks to Improve Your Memory

We are learning more and more about the human brain every year, but much of the function of the brain is still a great mystery.

One thing that we do know is that the ability to recall a memory gets worse with time, especially if the information was trivial, but even trivial memories may be stored “just in case” and may be pulled up for later use. The trigger for this memory effect, called retroactive consolidation, is emotion and may help explain why people are suddenly able to remember minor, mundane details of traumatic events or crime scenes.

Research is increasingly showing that your memories are not fixed, but can be weakened or strengthened by later events.

Aging May Influence Memory Problems via a Breakdown in Your Blood-Brain Barrier:

Your blood-brain barrier, the barrier that keeps toxins and pathogens out of your brain where they don’t belong, breaks down with age, according to research published in Neuron. The study used high-resolution MRI scans, which showed the blood-brain barrier became increasingly “leaky” with age.

The blood-brain barrier breakdown that occurred during normal aging began in the hippocampus, a brain region critical for learning and memory, and that is known to be affected early in Alzheimer’s disease.
The data suggests that this breakdown in the blood-brain barrier appears to be an “early event” in the aging human brain and may contribute to cognitive impairment.

Living in the North Also Raises Your Dementia Risk:

Researchers from Edinburgh University revealed significant geographical variation in dementia rates, with those living in Northern regions having an increased risk, which seems to be linked with lower vitamin D blood levels.

Vitamin D has also been shown to improve a number of brain disorders, including dementia in its most severe form, Alzheimer’s disease. Vitamin D may also exert some of its beneficial effects on your brain through its anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties, which are well established. .

Simple Ways to Improve Your Memory and Brain Health:

Fortunately, this is one facet of aging that you can do something about. A healthy lifestyle will support your brain health and even encourage your brain to grow new neurons, a process known as neurogenesis or neuroplasticity.

Your brain’s hippocampus, i.e. the memory center, is especially able to grow new cells and it’s now known that your hippocampus regenerates throughout your entire lifetime (even into your 90s), provided you give it the tools to do so. Many of the most powerful interventions for memory are also the simplest.

Among adults, for instance, a mid-day nap has been found to dramatically boost and restore brainpower. Proper sleep at night is important too, since certain forms of long-term potentiation, a neural process associated with the laying down of learning and memory, can be elicited in sleep, suggesting synaptic connections are strengthened while you slumber.

Addressing emotional stress is equally important. Higher levels of stress hormones can speed up short-term memory loss in older adults. Previous research has also linked chronic stress with working memory impairment,

Exercise also encourages your brain to work at optimum capacity by stimulating nerve cells to multiply, strengthening their interconnections, and protecting them from damage.

Individuals who engaged in exercise have been found to grow and expand the brain’s memory center 1 - 2% per year, where typically that center would have continued to decline in size.

What You Eat Is Crucial for Your Memory:

The foods you eat and don’t eat play a crucial role in your memory. Fresh vegetables are essential, as are healthy fats and avoiding sugar and grain carbohydrates. For instance, curry, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, and walnuts contain antioxidants and other compounds that protect your brain health and may even stimulate the production of new brain cells. Increasing your animal-based omega-3fat intake and reducing consumption of damaged omega-6 fats (think processed vegetable oils) in order to balance your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is also important.

Fish oil from wild caught salmon is excellent source of omega 3 fats. Coconut oil is another healthy fat for brain function. According to research by Dr. Mary Newport, just over two tablespoons of coconut oil (about 35 ml or 7 level teaspoons) would supply you with the equivalent of 20 grams of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which is indicated as either a preventative measure against degenerative neurological diseases or as a treatment for an already established case.

There is a close connection between abnormal gut flora and abnormal brain development, and just as you have neurons in your brain, you also have neurons in your gut -- including neurons that produce neurotransmitters like serotonin, which is also found in your brain and is linked to mood.

Along with avoiding sugar, one of the best ways to support gut health is to consume beneficial bacteria. You can use a probiotic supplement for this, but I’m particularly fond of using fermented vegetables, because they can deliver extraordinarily high levels of beneficial bacteria.

7 Quick Tricks to Improve Your Memory:

There may be times when you’re looking for a quick way to remember a piece of information or a new skill. The tips that follow are from Forbes. They are well worth trying to boost your ability to recall information accurately and quickly.

1. Convert the Information into a Picture - Data can be abstract, so forming a picture helps your brain consolidate it. For example, if you park in row D3 of a parking garage, imagine 3 dolphins swimming.

2. Imagine a “Memory Palace” - A memory palace is a place in your mind where you assign pieces of information. Your palace may even have different rooms that you imagine yourself walking through when you need to recall something.

3. Create a Story - Your brain has an easier time remember stories than fragments of data, so try to connect information and put it into a story whenever possible.

4. Do Something Out of the Ordinary - If you have trouble remembering where you put your keys, jump in the air or shout “yeehaw” next time you put them down. When you remember doing this wacky behavior, you’ll probably also remember where you put your keys.

5. Connect Your Senses - If you’re trying to remember a name, involve multiple senses, such as visualization. For an “Edward” with large eyebrows, you might associate the “E” in Edward with the “E” in eyebrows.

6. Make a Point to Remember - Rather than just letting the data go in one ear and out the other, make an effort to commit to memory. You might repeat it out loud. Ask for the data to be repeated or use it in conversation to help you remember.

7. Take Your Time to Memorize Large Amounts - If you’re giving a presentation that requires tapping your memory for a large amount of data, review the data gradually over time instead of cramming for it. Gradual memorization will help the data to be stored in your cortex, which is a more protected, longer-term area of your brain.

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