| I Forgot To Remember #55
As people age, their ability to reason and solve problems is usually retained, but
memory begins to slip a bit, starting as early as the 40s. Gradual loss of memory doesn't
necessarily mean Alzheimer's Disease; it's just a normal part of aging.
For those in the latter part of life, it may be tempting to seek out ways to keep
memory ability from fading, and there are many nutritional products that promise just
that. But, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, most of these
products' claims of memory enhancement are based on scant evidence. This doesn't mean they
don't work, or they are not worth trying, but, obviously, more research is needed.
- Choline is found in a wide variety of foods, and as an ingredient in many popular
memory supplements, like lecithin. Choline is a component of the neurotransmitter
acetylcholine, which is responsible for nerve communication in the memory and learning
areas of the brain. When scientists use drugs to lower choline levels in animals' brains,
memory impairment results, similar to that which occurs during aging. But only two
long-term studies have examined the choline/memory connection in humans, and neither
showed any memory enhancement from taking the nutrient.
- Ginkgo biloba has been shown to help people with Alzheimer's Disease, but according
to Jerry M. Cott, director of the Psychotherapeutic Medication Development Program and the
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), no studies have investigated the effects of
regular ginkgo use by healthy people. One study of short-term memory, however, did show
that a single, large dose of ginkgo (600-milligrams) was able to improve the memorization
ability of test subjects. Another study examining people with mild memory problems found
that improvements occurred in only one out of 13 memory tests, hardly encouraging results.
- Perhaps the most promising memory enhancer is phosphatidylserine (PS), a substance
that occurs naturally in the membranes of all nerve cells. Two studies found that when
this substance is given to older people with "normal" memory loss for three
months, improvement occurred in a majority of cases. The PS used in the study was
extracted from cows' brains, but it is now being produced from soybeans—good news for
vegetarians or those who have concerns about mad cow disease.
[Editor: It's quite possible that the "normal" memory loss of old age is
just like the "normal" clogging of the arteries and hypertension of old
age—merely a byproduct of the modern diet and way of life. Perhaps, if we eat and
live wisely, we won't need memory enhancement supplements. And, there was one more thing I
wanted to say here . . .] Based on information in: Nutrition Action
Healthletter, May 1997 |