3 memory boosts

Natural Health, July-August, 2008 by Matthew Solan

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1. MEDITATE A 2007 study from the University of Pennsylvania suggests daffy meditation may train your brain to remember more. Twenty adults aged 52 to 70 with mild cognitive impairment (a precursor to Alzheimer's disease) practiced 12 minutes of meditation every day for eight weeks. Follow-up tests revealed increased blood flow to the region of the brain that is linked to learning and memory.

* Try it. Meditate for ten to 12 minutes before your morning coffee or tea (caffeine can decrease blood flow to the brain), says Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., president and medical director of the Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. If your thoughts wander, bring your attention back to the breath.

2. POP A VITAMIN Citicoline, a form of the B vitamin choline, helps replenish the brain's phosphatidylserine, a nutrient believed to enhance memory, thinking, and learning in older, adults. A 2007 study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found people aged 50 to 85 with inefficient memories improved their "delayed-recall" after taking 1 gram of citicoline every day for three months. Those who took 2 grams for two additional months showed even better results.

* Try it. Citicoline supplements are sold at health food and supplement specialty stores or online. Check with your doctor about the proper dosage.

3. LINK YOUR LEFT-AND RIGHT-BRAIN FUNCTIONS Moving your eyes from side to side seems to encourage your brain's two hemispheres to work together and improve memory retrieval. A 2007 British study had college students listen to 20 lists of 15 words and found that those who followed a computer program prompting side-to-side eye movements for 30 seconds remembered 10 percent more words on average than those who made vertical eye movements or did nothing.

* Try it. Experts aren't sure why it works, but next time you can't remember where you parked your car, try moving your eyes back and forth for about 30 seconds. Maybe the spot will come to you.