It’d be nice if there were such a thing as mental Viagra – just swallow a pill and get a little lift where you need it. But the verdict’s still out on many pills, supplements and vitamins that purport to make your memory stronger. Here’s our take on the ones that get most of the attention:
| Pill | Do We Recommend It? | The Fine Print |
| Aspirin | Yes | Research shows a 40 percent decrease in arterial ageing, a major cause of memory loss, for those who take 162 milligrams of aspirin a day. Though science isn’t sure of the mechanism protecting against memory loss, it may happen because aspirin helps decrease that gunky beta-amyloid from your wiring, and because it improves circulation. |
| Vitamin E | In your diet, ideally | People who consume the highest amount of vitamin E are 43 percent less likely to get Alzheimer’s. You can get the vitamin E you need by eating just 3 ounces of nuts or seeds a day (about 15.5 milligrams), which is our preferred method. Alternatively, you can take a 400 IU (international unit) supplement daily if you take it with vitamin C and are not taking statin drugs like Lipitor. |
| Vitamins B6, B12, folic acid | Yes | Without B vitamins, your neurotransmitters don’t work efficiently. To compound matters, without B vitamins, your homocysteine levels rise, and that doubles the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Homocysteine is an amino acid associated with stroke, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Although no study has demonstrated a benefit of supplementation to your thinking process, the products are generally safe, and anecdotal evidence is enticing. We recommend a supplement with 400 micrograms of folic acid, 800 micrograms of B12 and 40 milligrams of B6 a day. |
| Aceytl-L-carnitine/ alpha-lipoic acid | Not yet | There are lots of strong theoretical reasons why this should enhance brain health – specifically, by improving mitochondrial activity and reducing mitochondrial DNA decay, resulting in higher neutrotransmitter function – but there’s not enough evidence in humans. |
| Rosemary, roses and mint | Yes | Not to ingest, but to smell. Research suggests that inhaling these three aromas at the time of learning a new task can enhance recall when you’re exposed to the scent at a later time. |
| Ginkgo biloba | If you want to | Though there are no large studies to support its use, there’s some promise that this very commonly used supplement is effective in helping improve cognition. It can also thin the blood, which can be helpful in people with blood vessel disease but dangerous for those with clotting disorders or anticipating surgery. Because it’s considered a safe antioxidant supplement, we’re comfortable with you trying 120 milligrams daily to see if it has any positive effects. |
| Huperzine A | Maybe | This ancient Chinese herb was used for memory loss even before we knew that it increases acetylcholine levels by blocking a chemical that devours this precious neurotransmitter. If you have mild cognitive impairment, we recommend 200 micrograms twice daily and suggest that your doctor help titrate the treatment if other pharmaceuticals with similar effects are being used. |
| Vinpocetine | No | There’s not enough evidence that this supplement from a periwinkle plant helps, and it can reduce your blood pressure too much, so we would rather wait for more clinical trials. |
| Phosphatidylserine | If you want to | About 70 percent of our cell membranes are made from this, and as we age, the level of phosphatidylserine drops, and the membranes become brittle. This supplement seems to strengthen cell membranes and the phospholipid sheathing around nerves, protecting the cables that transfer information from shorting out. Since risks are few, taking 200 milligrams daily is reasonable. |
| Coenzyme Q10 | Yes, but for other reasons | This supplement has a beneficial effect in protecting against Parkinson’s disease (a neural disease that can be caused by trauma, as in the case of boxers, or through viruses and genetics). As a potent antioxidant, it may help prevent inflammatory damage to the brain, but this remains unproven. The ideal dose is 100 milligrams twice a day (some research says that 300 milligrams four times a day is even better for Parkinson’s). This is one supplement where more than 90 percent of what’s sold doesn’t contain the real thing, so look for products that have actually been shown repeatedly to have in the bottle what’s on the label. The website to check to see if it contains what’s on the label: www.consumerlab.com. |
Your Neurochemicals: Nerve cells communicate with one another via neurotransmitters, chemicals that ferry information from neuron to neuron across the synapses between them. The most common neurotransmitter is called acetylcholine. When levels of this chemical fall, especially in the hippocampus (the part of the brain that controls our memory), we develop cognitive impairment. Many of the treatments for Alzheimer’s are aimed at increasing the amount of acetylcholine in the brain.
FACTOID
Those neurofibrillary tangles associated with Alzheimer’s disease contain aluminium (an element that makes up 14 percent of the earth’s crust). While there’s no evidence suggesting that aluminium causes memory problems, it’s better to try to avoid it. One way to reduce the aluminium you absorb: use sea salt instead of table salt, which is processed with aluminium to avoid caking. Other things that contain aluminium include nondairy creamers, antacids, cans, certain cookware and antiperspirants.
The other chemical that plays a significant role in memory is called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF, or just neurotrophins if you prefer), which works like Miracle-Gro for your brain. During infancy, BDNF helps develop nerves that help us learn, but as we get older, things like inflammation and stress can decrease its levels. Research shows that you can do things to improve your levels of BDNF, such as consuming the spice curcumin (a component of turmeric), restricting calories, doing exercise, being in love and taking some of a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. Not surprisingly, you can decrease BDNF by eating high levels of saturated fats and refined sugars, as well as by not getting enough of the natural antidepressant tryptophan (yes, it’s found in turkey, but there’s twice as much in spinach) in your diet.
