How to Stay Sharp as a Tack

Surf the Web
The admonition to "use it or lose it" isn't news. We've known for years that people who read, play musical instruments, do puzzles, and are otherwise involved in stimulating activities have a reduced risk of memory impairment. Mental exercise builds what scientists call "cognitive reserve." By increasing the number and variety of neural connections and networks, the brain becomes more resilient to damage.

So what creates cognitive reserve? Higher education, challenging work and leisure activities- and searching the Internet. UCLA researchers discovered that people over age 55 who regularly "surfed the Web" had twice as much activity in the areas of the brain involved in complex reasoning and decision making while engaging in this activity.


Listen to Memory-Enhancing CDs

When I first came across CDs that claimed to enhance memory, the idea sounded too good to be true. But then I looked at the research. These CDs are based on a well-studied technology called brainwave entrainment that uses rhythmic stimulus such as sound or light to synchronize the brain's electrical cycles. In one study, individuals who listened to these CDs for at least 70 minutes for 25 days in a row reported feeling more attentive and mentally clear- and their IQ test scores improved by an average of 18.9 percent!

I've tried several brain entrainment systems over the years, and many of them require special glasses and headphones. These CDs, however, are by far my favorite because they can be used anytime, anywhere. I've been playing them as background music in my office and car, and though I don't know if I'm getting any smarter, I do feel more clear-headed and relaxed.


Eat, Drink, and Get Smart

There is a consensus that the best "brain foods" are those that address the underlying processes in age-related degeneration: inflammation and free-radical damage. That being said, the standard American diet of meat, potatoes, breads, sweets, and processed foods is a recipe for dementia. Saturated fat fuels inflammation. Potatoes, breads, and sweets precipitate insulin resistance and weight gain. And processed foods are devoid of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that nourish the brain.

Replace meat with salmon and other omega-3- rich fish that dampen inflammation. Eliminate starches and sweets, and eat more beans and other low-glycemic carbohydrates. And load up on protective nutrients by eating plenty of vegetables and a little fruit. If you're looking for a food plan to follow, make it the Mediterranean diet, which, in addition to these items, includes modest amounts of olive oil and wine. A recent study revealed that older people who most closely adhered to a Mediterranean diet over four and a half years were 28 percent less likely to develop cognitive impairment.

I also recommend drinking coffee. You probably know that coffee makes you more alert and improves short-term memory, but did you realize it also protects against Alzheimer's? Scandinavian scientists recently found that people who drank three to five cups of coffee a day during middle age were 65 percent less likely to develop dementia!


Take Vitamin D...
Studies on the diverse benefits of vitamin D keep pouring in, and one of the latest focuses on cognitive function. Researchers tested the vitamin D blood levels of nearly 2,000 Brits over age 65. After adjusting for age, education, and other factors, they found that those with low levels of vitamin D were more than twice as likely to have cognitive problems.

Deficiencies in this vitamin are common among the general population, but they're rampant in older people, who have a decreased ability to produce vitamin D in the skin. One of the most important things you can do to preserve your memory is to get your blood level of this vitamin tested and take supplements to bring it into the optimal range.


...And Other Supplements
Vitamin D isn't the only nutrient that improves brain health. Vitamin B12 guards against age-related brain shrinkage and reduces risk of dementia. Vitamin B3 (nicotinamide) lowers levels of a protein linked to Alzheimer's. Folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 keep toxic homocysteine in check. And you can't protect against free-radical damage without antioxidants.

Fish oil is crucial because it provides DHA, a dominant fat in the brain, and EPA, a potent anti-inflammatory. Curcumin, an extract from turmeric, curbs inflammation, and vinpocetine, a periwinkle extract, improves cerebral blood flow. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylserine (PS) are also important constituents of neuronal cell membranes, plus PC is a precursor to acetylcholine, a key neurotransmitter.

Due to inefficient absorption and poor diet, the vast majority of older Americans are deficient in some or all of these nutrients. Simply correcting nutritional deficiencies can engender dramatic improvements in memory and general health. Therefore, I cannot over-emphasize the importance