Sign up to receive the
AAHF eJournal!
Also see us on:
  
|
Exercise your brain and body to improve memory
By Megan Rauscher
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Memory exercises and stress reduction
coupled with a healthy diet and regular physical exercise improves
memory in older adults, a study shows.
This four-component lifestyle program "not only improved memory but
also improved brain efficiency in just two short weeks," study chief
Dr. Gary Small from the University of California, Los Angeles told
Reuters Health.
"Initially, we were skeptical that we could have an impact in such a
brief period of time but we were pleasantly surprised because the
volunteers who followed the lifestyle program not only noticed better
memory ability but when we tested them with objective tests we found
that there was significant improvement in memory," he said.
In the 14-day study, 34 adults with normal memory were randomly
assigned to no behavior modification or to a memory improvement plan
that entailed the following:
Eating five small healthy meals per day rich in omega-3 fats from fish
and olive oil, healthy whole grain carbohydrates and antioxidants.
Eating five small meals instead of three larger meals prevents dips in
blood sugar, the primary energy source for the brain.
Taking daily brisk walks and physical conditioning to help brain
circulation, which has been found to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's
disease.
Performing stretching and relaxation exercises, which curb the body's
production of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol can impair memory
by shrinking the brain's memory centers.
Memory training -- brainteasers, crossword puzzles and basic memory
exercises improve everyday memory skills. "The memory techniques that
we taught people were probably the most important component," Small
said.
Right before and right after the study, each subject underwent positron
emission tomography or "PET" scans to measure activity throughout the
brain.
After the 14-day study, PET scans showed that adults who followed the
memory improvement plan recorded a marked decrease in brain metabolism
in an area of the brain directly linked to working memory and other
cognitive functions, suggesting that they were using their brains more
efficiently.
"It was interesting that people had better memory and they used up less
brain power," Small said. "It's similar to a physical fitness model --
you go the gym, you work out, lift some weights and you are sore, but
after a few weeks of training you can lift heavier weights and you use
less energy to do it," he explained.
Subjects in the study ranged from 35 to 70 years of age -- on average
they were 53 years old. "We know from past studies that subtle evidence
of brain aging can be seen on PET scans even in people in their 30s,"
Small noted, "so it's something that starts relatively early in life."
He believes it's "probably never too late or too early to get started
on a healthy lifestyle to improve your brain health."
Dr. Small details the memory improvement plan used in this study in his
book called The Memory Prescription. He presented results of the
current study this week during the American College of
Neuropsychopharmacology's annual meeting in Hawaii.
|
|
|
