Some of the Best Healthy Aging Tips to Keep Your Brain & Memory Sharp
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Nicole Avena
Memory loss is an inevitable part of aging, right?
Wrong!
According to physician and double board-certified psychiatrist, Daniel Amen:
While it is true that memory issues are common with age, they are not inevitable. In the presymptomatic stage, when memory problems are minor, help is likely to be most effective. If you’re struggling with your memory, even if it seems inconsequential, now is the time to get serious about your brain’s heath.”
How to Slow Brain Aging
Two of the best ways to slow the aging process are to avoid the things that hurt your brain and embrace the things that help your brain. Though easy to comprehend, those simple steps can be extremely difficult to implement. That’s why it’s important to adopt daily habits that can protect your brain from the things that can harm and age it.
To help support your brain health as you grow older, try these practical, natural strategies for healthy aging…
3 of the Best Ways to Support Healthy Aging Today
- Brain-Energizing Activities
Physical exercise can enhance brain health and support memory by:
- Increasing the size of the hippocampus, the brain’s main memory-forming zone, according to a study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
- Protecting the hippocampus from stress-related hormones, like cortisol, which can damage the brain when its levels are high for sustained periods due to ongoing stress.
- Stimulating the production of growth factors, such as BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factors), which nurture brain maintenance and neurogenesis.
- Decreasing the formation of beta-amyloid plaque, clumps of protein found in the brains of people with severe memory issues.
- Facilitating greater detoxification through sweat, which is critical since toxins can damage the brain and increase the risk of memory problems.
- Memory-Supporting Foods
Here are some of the best ultra-healthy, memory-supporting foods you should work into your diet:
Fish: One of the most studied foods for brain health, fatty fish – such as sardines, wild salmon, tuna, and mackerel – are high in the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which are critical to brain health and memory.
Vegetables: Vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants (including carotenoids), flavonoids, and other polyphenols that help keep the brain healthy and memory sharp.
Fruits: Flavonoids and other polyphenols – particularly those found in berries, apples, and citrus fruits – may help to reverse age-related decline in memory and learning.
Herbs and Spices: Saffron, turmeric, rosemary, and sage contain substances that support memory and offer overall protection against cognitive decline. Cinnamon may help improve blood sugar status as well as fight inflammation.
Nuts and Seeds: Nuts are loaded with healthy fats, minerals, and nutrients that are needed to power the brain’s memory function. Walnuts and almonds also may support mental sharpness.
- Anti-Aging Supplements
Though many products on the market are thought to have memory or age-defying benefits, it’s a good idea to take supplements that offer these anti-aging nutrients…
Collagen
Collagen is the main structural protein that makes up the connective tissues in your body. You need an abundance of healthy collagen to keep your skin elastic, your nails and bones strong, and your joints youthful. It also provides structure for cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and blood vessels.
There are different types and sources of collagen, so make sure to research a product before taking it.
CoQ10
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a powerful cofactor and protectant for the mitochondria that generate over 90 percent of all our energy. These are constantly at work in all our cells but are most active in the brain to supply its huge energy demands. CoQ10 is important for the brain, heart and circulation, immune system, and other organs.
Curcumin
Curcumin is an umbrella name for the three main active curcuminoids of turmeric: curcumin, demethoxy-curcumin, and bis-demethoxycurcumin. Curcumin is thought to support working memory, calmness, and satisfaction in coping with mental strain. It also can help promote cardiovascular health and lessen physical fatigue.
Resveratrol
Resveratrol may help to promote healthy heart muscle function. It’s a phytonutrient that gives red wine its “heart healthy” status. Additionally, resveratrol may help support blood vessel function, promote healthy blood sugar utilization, and improve word recall.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is crucial for the brain to develop and maintain its trillions of nerve cell connections (synapses). This powerhouse vitamin is crucial for the development and maintenance of the brain, lungs, eyes (vision), and intestinal tract. It’s also essential for a strong immune system.
Vitamin D
Traditionally known as the bone vitamin, vitamin D also is essential for organ growth. The liver and kidneys convert vitamin D into a powerful hormone for the health of the brain, heart and circulation, immune system, bones, joints, muscles, and other organs. Vitamin D promotes attention, socialization, memory and learning, positive mood, and overall brain function, while enhancing health and well-being.
Superior to D2, vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is converted into a hormone that regulates about 900 different genes. Vitamin D3 helps promote healthy mood management and cognitive function and works well with vitamin K2.
Be Proactive
Despite what many healthcare practitioners would have you believe, losing your memory or developing mental fog in your forties, fifties, sixties, or even seventies isn’t normal – it’s a sign of trouble.
However, serious memory loss isn’t inevitable with advancing age. The best way to sharpen recall, reduce brain atrophy, and avoid long-term memory problems is to be proactive. There will never be a better time to start improving your memory than right now.
One of the best ways to promote healthy aging is to take supplements with highly purified nutraceutical ingredients that are clinically researched to keep your mind sharp and efficient.
BrainMD offers an entire category of Memory Supplements to help support your brain, cognition, and memory.
Try one of these pure and potent supplements today!
At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest purity nutrients to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.
