Thursday, April 28, 2011

Is Age Related Memory Loss Inevitable, Or Can You Help Prevent It?

It's commonly assumed that aging and memory loss go together, that as you get older it's inevitable that your memory will get poorer. But loss of memory with aging isn't necessarily a given. Whilst you certainly can't prevent ageing it is incorrect to assume that a poor memory should go with it.
New studies are now delving deeper into the causes of memory loss with aging and coming up with strategies to help prevent or reduce it.
Recent studies are now showing that inflammation in the body and in the brain can be one of the causes of declining memory. In fact science is now beginning to understand that inflammation in the body is an underlying factor for a whole range of lifestyle diseases.
A new study discussed at the American Academy of Neurology's most recent meeting has established that the more elderly who are suffering from inflammation in the brain are more likely to exhibit symptoms of cognitive decline and memory loss than those who do not.
As a result there are new strategies which may well help you to improve your memory as you age, because aging and memory loss do not necessarily go together.
There are of course many strategies, including brain exercises, to help reduce age related memory loss, however today we specifically wanted to look at strategies to reduce inflammation and in turn, hopefully, to improve your memory.
One of the most powerful anti-inflammatories, or in other words substances that helps reduce inflammation, is what are known as the Omega 3 essential fatty acids. These are found primarily in fish oil, though it can also be found in smaller amounts in other foods. In the past our diets were high in fish, and therefore we all had a higher intake of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids.
But our intake of fish has declined and for this reason science is demonstrating that many of us are deficient in our intake of the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA, which help to fight inflammation in our bodies.
Helping reduce your risk of memory loss with age is just one of the many health benefits you will attract to yourself if you improve your intake of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids. One of the major benefits of more Omega 3 fats in the diet is reducing your risk of dying from heart attack.
But increasing your intake may also help prevent or reduce age-related memory loss.
Of course more study is being undertaken in these areas, but it is very clear from current research that all of us, for a wide range of health reasons, should seriously consider increasing our intake of the essential fatty acids found in fish. Sadly fish is very expensive and eating too much is not recommended because of Mercury contamination.
The good news is that it is entirely possible to buy high-quality fish oil supplements containing high levels of DHA and EPA, and that these are both cost-effective to take daily and quite clean. Sadly not all fish oil supplements are high quality.
So if you're worried about ageing and memory loss then you should seriously consider a daily dose of the Omega 3 supplements, both for your brain as well as for your general health.

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