Vitamins to Improve Memory

Vitamins are good for many aliments, but some believe they can also be used as preventative medicine. Recent studies in both the medical and science communities have found that there are certain vitamins that improve memory as well as those that help to prevent memory loss. Most of those vitamins are in the B family of vitamins, although recent studies indicate that Omega-3 Fatty Acids may also play a part in the reduction of memory loss over time.

Vitamin B6

• Vitamin B6 is seen as a good vitamin to take to reduce memory loss as it is vital to brain function. B6 aids in the creation of neurotransmitters in the brain which allow brain cell communication. Consequentially, a lack of vitamin B6 is thought to impair memory, not allowing brain cells to appropriately retrieve, register, or retain information. Good food sources of vitamin B6 include: chicken, beef, avocados, yeast, eggs, oats, whole wheat, peanuts, walnuts, brown rice, and bananas.

Vitamin B12

• Studies have shown that people who have a higher level of B12 in their bodies do better on memory tests. This theory would seem to also corroborate the fact that as people age, it gets harder for their bodies to absorb B12, which might explain why older people sometimes have a harder time remembering things. Great sources of vitamin B12 are meat, poultry, fish, eggs, clams, yogurt, and milk

Vitamin B Folate

• Folate is also said to improve memory, but doesn't seem to play as big a factor as B12. Studies have shown that vitamin B Folate, when taken by people over age 60, may help in the reduction of memory loss. The reason for this, researchers hypothesize, is that folate and other vitamins in the B family play a crucial role in the chemical synthesis that powers the brain. Some great sources of folate are beans, spinach, avocados, peanuts, eggs, and bananas.

Vitamin E

• Vitamin E has been shown in studies to improve memory in the elderly by reducing impending memory loss and other forms of cognitive decline. A three-year longitudinal study was performed in a home for senior citizens. Those residents who included vitamin E as part of their vitamin regimen proved to perform better when their recollection of details were tested than their counterparts who had not been taking Vitamin E. It is said to not only aid people who already have diseases such as Alzheimer's, but can also be taken as a prevention of these same diseases. Good sources of Vitamin E are sunflower seeds, papaya, collard greens, blueberries, olives, spinach, and almonds.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

• Omega-3 fatty acids are thought to lower a person's risk of Alzheimer's disease. Although studies are still being conducted, early research indicates that these fatty acids, while they do not in any way cure Alzheimer's, work to improve the general function of the brain, thus helping to prevent the disease. Further studies, tests, and investigations are needed to find the true reason why Omega-3 fatty acids seem to slow the progression of this disease. This is a supplement that is still being researched (as not enough tests have been done) that compare the use of Omega-3 Fatty Acids to the use of a placebo to see if there are any positive memory effects when using the Omega-3 fatty acids. Foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids are flaxseeds, walnuts, salmon, cooked soybeans, halibut, shrimp, raw tofu, snapper, scallops, and winter squash.