Royane Real
Should You Take Supplements to Boost Your Memory?
By Royane Real
Have you ever wondered if you should take a supplement to boost your memory? Perhaps you have started to notice a few episodes where you couldn't remember something important and the incident alarmed you. Is it too late for a supplement to help you retain your brain power?
Millions of people in the baby boom generation are reaching the years where a faltering memory is a cause for concern. Some of these people are starting to turn to nutritional supplements that have a reputation for improving the memory. Is there really such a thing as a memory pill? Not actually, but some kinds of foods and some kinds of supplements do seem to have a beneficial effect on memory.
Many people who hope to improve their memory by taking supplements don’t know where to start. Should they take some exotic new herb, an omega 3 pill derived from fish oil, or just a basic multivitamin? How much should they take, and how much is too much?
Most people have not educated themselves on the topic of effective supplements for improving memory. When people are uneducated they become vulnerable to advertising about the latest miracle product, whether or not there is any valid science behind it.
If you are interested in learning more about what supplements work effectively to boost your memory power, there is a lot of information on this website, and also in my book How You Can Be Smarter - Use Your Brain to Learn Faster, Remember Better and Be More Creative” .
Before you consider using any memory boosting supplements, first you should ask yourself why you want to take them. Have you already started to notice some problems with your memory? Do you just want to have a mental edge? Do you think that if you take memory supplements now, you can avoid Alzheimer’s down the road?
Brains are very delicately balanced in terms of their chemical messengers. When memory starts to falter, it could be because some of the important neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine which is needed to form memory, are not being manufactured in sufficient quantity. Or it could be that the receptors for acetylcholine in the brain are not working properly. Or several other problems could be going on at once.
Before you consider using memory boosting supplements, be sure that you first have all the basics of good brain health in place.
Are you eating a healthy diet, low in saturated fats, and filled with a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables? Are you avoiding unhealthy fats such as margarines, and rancid cooking oils? Do you eat a lot of fish? Are you avoiding toxins in your environment, such as pesticides? Do you exercise regularly? Do you sleep well? Is your life filled with stress? Do you make time to relax?
If you decide that memory boosting supplements are something you want to try, be sure to educate yourself first so that you clearly understand what you are taking.
Some supplements, such as Gingko Biloba, are heavily hyped as having a great effect on improving memory. In truth, most studies that have been done on Gingko Biloba have shown very little, if any improvement in mental processing.
Choline is one of the ingredients in an important neurotransmitter that the brain needs, yet choline supplements do not appear to be effective because the molecule is too large to be used.
However, some supplements such as Phosphatidylserine do have convincing research to show they can improve memory.
( The above introductory comments were written by Royane Real, author of “How You Can Be Smarter - Use Your Brain to Learn Faster, Remember Better and Be More Creative” Download it at http://www.lulu.com/real )
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