Not long ago, a waning memory was believed to be just a natural part of the aging process. Although that may be somewhat true, research that connects nutrition and your brain is expanding. Many conclusions point to a more optimistic outlook on how what you eat can make a difference in your brain functions, including memory.
Vitamin B-12 Deficiency
Marked memory loss is sometimes a sign that your diet is deficient in vitamin B-12, or cobalamin. "American Family Physician" says that vitamin B-12 deficiency is found in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. Such a deficiency can occur because you're not eating enough of the right foods or because you may have pernicious anemia or other conditions that prevent your body from adequately absorbing vitamin B-12. Mayo Clinic neuropsychologist Glenn Smith says B-12 deficiency is most common in older adults and vegetarians. This is likely because the nutrient occurs naturally in animal products -- fish, meat and poultry.
Regular use of antacids can also prevent your body from absorbing whatever vitamin B-12 is in your daily diet. Besides meats, dry cereal is often fortified with B-12. Studies have demonstrated that the effects of this deficiency can be reversed if diagnosed early and treated with supplements.
Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Dietary studies demonstrate that the omega-3 fatty acids found in certain types of fish have a protective effect on the brain. In one Finnish study of more than 2,000 participants 65 years or older, brain scans showed fewer incidences of brain infarcts, small lesions that can decrease thinking skills, in the subjects who ate high-omega-3 fish at least three times a week. The types of fish included were tuna, salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines and anchovies.
High Cholesterol, Hypertension
In the same Finnish study that connected eating fish to less memory loss in the aging population, those positive results were not found in people who regularly ate fried fish. The researchers did not theorize the reason for the variation between fish that was fried versus broiled or baked, but the answer may lie in the correlation being found between cardiometabolic abnormalities -- such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure -- and memory loss. One French study, published in the journal "Neurology" in February 2011, concluded that metabolic syndrome is associated with greater declines in visual working memory. Metabolic syndrome includes such conditions as hypertension, high levels of "bad" cholesterol and low levels of "good" cholesterol, high blood sugar, and high waist circumference.
But you don't have to be elderly to worry about this diet-memory connection. Another French study of nearly 5,000 middle-aged men and women -- average age of 55 years -- showed that over a 10-year span, those with higher cardiovascular risk were also more likely to show a faster decline in overall cognitive function. For those subjects with a 10 percent higher cardiovascular risk, including the factors of age, gender, cholesterol, blood pressure, and smoking or diabetes, the study found lower memory scores for men and women. In a smaller, noncontrolled trial published in "Neurology" in April 2011, researchers followed more than 800 people who already had mild cognitive impairment, which often leads to Alzheimer's disease. Of the subjects, those who had vascular risk factors were more likely to develop Alzheimer's. Also, subjects with vascular risk factors were less likely to develop Alzheimer's if they received full treatment for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes. Full treatment included medication and diet control.
Soy
Soybeans and their products -- tofu and soy milk -- contain isoflavones, which act in the body similarly to the hormone estrogen. That's what has spurred many people to increase their soy intake, through food or supplements, in hopes of obtaining benefits such as reduction in menopause symptoms. Other than possibly reducing the incidence of hot flashes in menopausal women, studies of other theorized estrogenic benefits are inconclusive, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. However, research does point to a lowering of LDL cholesterol with daily soy in the diet, so again, perhaps soy can help you protect your memory by controlling cholesterol.
References
- Mayo Clinic; Can Vitamin B-12 Improve Memory in Alzheimer's Disease?; Glenn Smith; January 2011
- "American Family Physician"; Vitamin B-12 Deficiency; March 2003
- American Academy of Neurology; Eating Fish May Prevent Memory Loss and Stroke in Old Age; August 2008
- "Neurology"; Metabolic Syndrome and Cognitive Decline in French Elders: the Three-City Study; C. Raffaitin, et al.; February 2011
- ScienceDaily: High Cholesterol and Blood Pressure in Middle Age Tied to Early Memory Problems
- American Academy of Neurology; Treating High Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Diabetes May Lower Risk of Alzheimer's Disease; April 2011
