Keep Your Mind Sharp!

 Five memory-enhancing nutrients for a better brain.

- Jack Challem

We all have our “senior moments,” such as when we can’t find our car keys. As we get older, everyone experiences some degree of age-related memory loss. That’s normal and nothing to worry about. However, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is more serious because it is a prelude to Alzheimer’s disease, the most severe form of dementia.

GETTING TESTED

Are your memory and cognitive function substantially worse than they are for most people your age? Is your memory loss serious enough to disrupt your daily life? Do you have difficulty planning or solving problems? If you do, make an appointment with your doctor or a neurologist for an assessment.

THE CAUSE

Officially, there’s no known cause for MCI and Alzheimer’s disease. But head injuries, poor nutrition, vitamin B12 deficiency, elevated blood sugar, and inheriting the APOE4 gene can increase the risk of memory and other cognitive problems.

CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS

To improve your memory, try these simple techniques to train your brain: make lists, repeat a person’s name when you’re introduced, look at the surroundings where you’ve parked your car. Some drugs can slow the progression of MCI and Alzheimer’s disease, but they cannot reverse these diseases.

COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENTS