Actively looking after your memory can protect you from age-related degeneration and Alzheimer's, says author and researcher Dr Jeff Victoroff, associate professor of clinical neurology at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
Your memory is one of your most powerful tools of survival. Can you imagine waking up one morning and not being able to remember your name, or how to drive your car? A scary thought considering practically everything you do from the time you wake up till you sleep is based on memory.
How does memory work?
According to Dr Frans Hugo, psychiatrist at the Panorama Memory Clinic in Cape Town, memory is a biological and psychological function of the brain. When you use your memory, it is either to retain or recall information or experiences in the form of emotions, sensations, smells, thoughts, events and ideas. For example, if you recall your first kiss, you also remember the way you felt.
Dr Hugo explains that when your memory is at work, your brain cells communicate with one another. Most people have 100-billion brain cells, connected by synapses. Although memory is associated with certain areas of your brain, it is not stored in a single place, it exists as a pattern of brain-cell activity throughout the brain, says Dr Victoroff. As you get older you begin to lose brain cells, a natural part of the ageing process that begins between the ages of 20 and 25. Hugo says that short-term memory is most likely to be affected, resulting in day-to-day forgetfulness, although you are still able to function.
Memory diseases such as Alzheimer's are a different situation. ‘In instances where people suffer from Alzheimer's, the brain cells progressively die as the disease advances and patients suffer from cognitive impairment which results in them being unable to function on a daily basis,' says Hugo. Memory illness is the biggest threat to your memory, as are head injuries and unconsciousness lasting more than one hour. But stress, anxiety and your lifestyle could also have an effect on how well your memory functions, says Victoroff, which is why we need to take better care of our memories.
Five ways to boost your brainpower
The good news is that research has uncovered simple and effective ways to help your memory stay active, even as you grow older. Dr Victoroff brings together the latest knowledge on how to protect your memory in his book, Saving Your Brain (Bantam).
1. Eat a brain-saving diet
Your daily diet can maintain your brainpower. According to Victoroff, eating a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables benefits your brain. ‘By keeping brain blood vessels open, blocking free-radical attacks, protecting DNA and reducing inflammation, such a diet directly opposes many of the demonic molecular forces that underlie Alzheimer's itself,' writes Victoroff. Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids (found in salmon, sardines and canola) can help improve your cognitive functions, while trans fats (found in crisps and French fries) are associated with the narrowing of blood vessels in the brain and limited blood flow. If you have a sweet tooth, then this is good news for you: dark chocolate contains a compound called procyanidin, which scientists say improves memory by increasing blood circulation so your brain receives more oxygen and nutrients. Enjoy it in moderation.
2. Exercise regularly
Exercise has many benefits for the brain and the body. Whenever you exercise, more blood is pumped to the brain. Victoroff says that brain cells work more efficiently when blood circulation increases because they receive more nutrients and oxygen. Moderate 30-minute daily exercise such as brisk walking, swimming or cycling will do.
3. Control stress and depression
Whenever you are confronted with a stressful situation, your body releases hormones which boost your energy in order for you to deal with the challenge. The problem is that these hormones can also damage your memory centre. According to Victoroff, severe or prolonged stress can cause lasting brain damage. Aerobic exercise is one of the best ways, he says, to reduce your stress levels because it allows your body to burn off stress-induced energy. Keeping stress levels low is also important for people who suffer or have suffered from some sort of depression.
4. Get a job that fulfils you
It is important that your job fulfils you and engages your brain. Insufficiently demanding work that is boring and without cognitive challenges may actually be hard on the brain, explains Victoroff. But in the same breath, excessively demanding work that causes high levels of stress can contribute to some brain damage, affecting your memory. The solution is to seek a mentally stimulating career that does not carry high-risk stress levels.
5. Keep your brain active
Victoroff believes you should never let your mind ‘retire'. Just as you work out to keep your body going, so you need to keep your brain active. Go back to school or university, learn to speak a new language (South Africa has 11 official languages to choose from!), learn to play a musical instrument, or find a hobby that will stimulate you. Whatever you choose to do, keep your mind active.
Work that brain!
Challenge your mind today! Here are six easy ways to stimulate your brain:
1 Take a different route to work, or a new route home. This forces you out of autopilot and exercises your problem-solving skills.
2 Practice writing your name with your other hand. This stimulates different pathways in the brain.
3 Go for a brisk walk or jog round the block. Apart from getting more nutrients to the brain, this also stimulates the senses.
4 Fill in a crossword puzzle. Puzzles test your general knowledge and force you to see word structure in addition to meaning.
5 Read a book, or an article if your time is limited. Pick a genre or a subject you know little about to take yourself out of your comfort zone.
6 Learn a new word. Pick a random word you don't know in the dictionary, and jot down its definition. Collect a list, and test yourself at the end of the week.