Frequently forgetting things is a sign of Alzheimer's disease? Eating these regularly can improve memory!

Expert of this article: Fu Shufang, Master of Food Science and Nutrition Engineering, China Agricultural University, technician of the National Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases

This article was reviewed by Li Lin, PhD in Food Science and Professor at Zhongshan College of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, and food safety expert in Zhongshan City

Where is my cell phone?

Where are my keys?

What was I just about to say?

I believe these are the three questions that many friends ask themselves every day.

As people age, their memory gradually declines, but nowadays many young people often lament that they are becoming more and more forgetful.

What does human memory have to do with? Is there any way to improve memory? Let's talk about it today.

What determines the strength of a person’s memory?

Memory refers to the process of storing and retrieving information in the brain. Generally speaking, people's memory will gradually decline with age, which is a normal physiological phenomenon.

Physiological factors

The hippocampus is an area in our brain that is responsible for the storage, conversion, and orientation of short-term memory. It usually degenerates with age, which is one of the reasons why people's memory gradually declines with age.

In addition, hormones and proteins that protect and repair brain cells and stimulate nerve growth also decline with age.

Older adults often experience reduced blood flow to the brain, which can also impair memory and contribute to cognitive decline.

Other factors

Sleep

Researchers at Stanford University found that after 48 hours of sleep deprivation, the subjects were no longer able to remember things, and their learning efficiency dropped to 13%. In the case of severe sleep deprivation, a nap of more than ten minutes can also improve memory.

For office workers, staying up late often can easily lead to memory loss and inability to concentrate, while for the elderly, long-term insomnia and poor sleep quality will increase the risk of dementia.

Bad lifestyle habits, such as smoking and drinking

Alcohol has a paralyzing effect on brain cells, and frequent excessive drinking can lead to partial memory loss. Smoking not only affects blood pressure, reduces blood flow to the brain, and increases cerebrovascular resistance, but the nicotine it contains also damages brain cells, all of which can cause damage to brain function.

Is memory loss a sign of dementia?

Alzheimer's disease, also known as senile dementia, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with an insidious onset. It is generally manifested by memory impairment, expression impairment, and spatial impairment, i.e., often getting lost and not being able to tell time and place.

According to the World Health Organization, one person with cognitive impairment is born every 3 seconds in the world. However, for most people, occasional lapses in short-term memory are a normal part of the aging process and are not a sign of severe mental decline or the onset of Alzheimer's disease or other dementias, so there is no need to be blindly pessimistic.

The main difference between age-related memory loss and dementia is that the former is not disabling.

While memory loss has little impact on our daily functioning and ability to do the things we want to do, dementia is characterized by a persistent, disabling decline in two or more intellectual abilities, such as memory, language, judgment, and abstract thinking.

If you experience any of the following, you may be considering dementia:

difficulty performing simple tasks (paying bills, dressing appropriately, washing);

Getting lost or disoriented even in familiar places;

Often forgets words, misuses them, or garbles them when speaking;

Having trouble making decisions or behaving in a socially inappropriate way.

When memory loss becomes frequent enough or affects daily life, it is still important to see a doctor as soon as possible for prompt diagnosis and intervention.

What foods are good for your brain?

Your daily diet can also have an impact on your memory.

The gut and brain are intrinsically connected. Not only is our digestive system responsible for supplying key nutrients to the body and brain from food and drink, but it also produces key hormones that travel to the brain and have an impact on our memory and cognitive function.

Certain foods contain specific key nutrients that the brain needs to ensure our short-term and long-term memory remains optimal. These include antioxidants, good fats, and certain vitamins and minerals that not only provide energy but also protect the brain.

Good fats, especially omega-3 fatty acids, can promote the transmission of electrical signals between nerve cells, allowing the brain to communicate quickly and easily, helping to improve mental concentration and memory. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, etc. and certain nuts and seeds such as flax seeds, walnuts, chia seeds, etc.

Some B vitamins, such as B12, B6 and folic acid (B9), as well as K vitamins have also shown benefits in enhancing memory. Foods that can be chosen include mackerel, eggs, chicken, bananas, walnuts, green vegetables, etc.

The British Journal of Nutrition found that eating certain fruits rich in flavonoids, including berries, apples, and citrus, may have a positive impact on our memory. Other studies have shown that soy foods, which are rich in isoflavone phytoestrogens, can improve long-term and short-term memory.

Anthocyanins, found in some red, blue or purple foods, are also a type of flavonoid that have antioxidant effects and may also have certain memory-enhancing properties.

Foods containing medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) may also have additional benefits for our memory, including: whole milk, butter, whole-fat yogurt, coconut oil, etc.

Now that we have talked about the foods that the brain likes, what foods can reduce memory? Let’s take a look.

What foods does the brain “dislike”?

Studies have shown that a high-sugar diet is associated with cognitive impairment, especially deterioration of hippocampal memory function. High carbohydrate intake may increase the risk of mild cognitive impairment or dementia in the elderly.

In addition, a high-sugar diet and various sugary drinks can damage the vascular endothelium, easily leading to chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia.

A high-fat diet, especially foods containing trans fatty acids, such as margarine, baked goods, fried foods, etc., increases the risk of various cardiovascular diseases. Studies have found that consuming a large amount of trans fatty acids can lead to a decline in cognitive ability, brain capacity, and memory, and a significantly higher risk of Alzheimer's disease.

In addition, a recent study published online in the journal Nature found that excessive salt intake can impair brain cognitive function.

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