What are some foods and herbs that help the memory?

dear hubby said he wanted to get some of the brain pills that are advertised on TV.

I saw Alton Brown advertising Neuriva so I looked up what ingredients the [pills contain.

100 mg Coffee Fruit Extract and 100 mg Phosphatidylserine.

These are not too appealing.

Then I read that someone said they thought Forece Factor was better.

The ingredients seem to be water hyssop and grape extract, caffeine, with a small amount of black pepper extract (?).

I told dear hubby that both products contained caffeine.

He said what he had seen advertised was Prevagen which is Apoaequorin which is made from a jellyfish that glows.

I would much rather eat fruits and vegetables or make herbal tea.

Anyone know which fruits and vegetables or herbs help with memory? Or stimulate the brain?

Hi Ann,
This is not really an answer, but something to think about.

With type 1 and type 2 diabetes, there are different body parts that develop an insulin immunity. Some scientists and Docs are starting to call alzheimers type 3 diabetes (not officially), when the brain is insulin resistant. If sugar related problems can cause something that effects memory as much as alzheimers, then I would imagine a diet to reverse insulin immunity aught to be beneficial for memory in general.

Also, the brain is like 60% fat. The brain is very important. I would suggest making sure he is getting plenty of the good kinds of fats. Your body can use the cheap oils/fats to build stuff with... but it doesn't do a very good job. It's like building a desk with wet sawdust board vs building it out of oak.  

Matt, thanks.

That is an interesting subject. I did not know there was a link to diabetes.

He does not have diabetes though I do think he has some age-related memory loss.

Our daughter was telling me that she is having problems with memory loss from covid.  I suggested that she use some brain games which she said she is.

Mushroom Lions Mane, has helped my memory.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/improving-memory-lions-mane-mushrooms-may-double-neuron-growth



Gingo  ->
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ginkgo-biloba-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_5


I have used Brain Pep  capsules off Amazon, it has lots of good reviews.

What Matt said! Fish oils are believed to be good for the brain. Also cod liver, popular canned food like sardines etc.

Ginseng, green tea, berries, nuts.

Rosemary is a classic memory and thought enhancing herb, and is the herb the Greek and Roman scholars used to wear on their heads. Simply smelling it can enhance one's recall ability, focus, and study aptitude.

Other things, like Gingko, garlic, gotu kola, foti root, tulsi, ashwaganda, and others all have the potential to enhance memory, improve focus, and bring clarity.

As far as using them as food, I go the easy route with most(not so much the garlic & rosemary), and make teas. There are tons of ways to increase garlic and rosemary intake.

Oh yeah, this is one of my favorite sites for health issues.

This article has tons of info about improving memory.

https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/natural-remedies-for-memory-loss.html

Hello Anne! I sympathize with your plight and know it can be an unnerving experience for your husband as he experiences memory issues.  It is great that you are starting early and that it isn't as severe as my situation. My journey has been a long one, as my Dad began to show signs of dementia around 7 years ago, and I've spent countless hours asking similar questions as you, trying to find natural ways to help him the most.  Many memory-related issues are actually related to the health of the kidney, so it would be good to focus on the kidney health as well.  That is one reason Diabetes can lead to brain issues - because the kidney is being negatively impacted by either the insulin or other medications.

For me, it was a matter of researching every modality that positively effects the brain (or kidney), and then implementing them in a way that suited my Dad and his personality the best. I made a list of herbs, vitamins, foods, essential oils, etc.  For instance, he loves rootbeer, but soda is horrible for the brain with so much sugar. So, I buy him the Olipop Rootbeer (https://drinkolipop.com/blogs/digest/what-is-root-beer-made-of-and-how-is-olipop-different), which contains mostly herbs and carbonated water - he gets to enjoy his "rootbeer" and it happens to be good for him! He loves chocolate bars, so I make him a "hot chocolate" drink out of lion's mane mushroom powder, cacao powder (not cocoa), and cinnamon powder. (In addition to helping the brain and his diabetes, the cinnamon helps create a "sweeter" taste)  Initially I added pure B maple syrup and tapered off the amount until he could enjoy it with less sweetness. I also made him chocolate bars with a drop of peppermint essential oil and mostly Virgin Coconut Oil as VCO contains EFA's essential to brain health. He needs between 2-3 tbls of coconut oil per day, so I make and store them in mini-cupcake size so he could grab a bite whenever he liked. By the way, currently my Dad is doing great, has been fairly stable mentally for about 4 years and is maintaining a great attitude! (Moodiness and anger have been a previous indication of brain issues for him.)  

All this to say, that I would take everything that folks have mentioned above and put together a list of everything that is good for the brain (and kidney) and then pick out the ones your husband enjoys. Keep in mind any thing that should not be over-used or has contraindications, and use those as special treats occasionally. For instance, my Dad loves licorice (the herb), but taken daily it will negatively effect the liver, so I only give it as a once-a-week treat in a diluted tea.

Resources I recommend to identify brain-related health info:
• "Brighter Mind" by Dr. Kyle Smith (Very valuable. Will list many foods, herbs, vitamins, methodologies, activities, also brain poisons, etc. etc.)
• Dr. John R. Christopher (master herbalist, has a blend of herbs called "Memory Plus" and "MindTrac", both I give to my Dad) https://drchristophersherbshop.com/collections/memory-focus
• EarthClinic.com (lots of ideas, as each person's body is different)
• The Complete Medicinal Herbal" by Penelope Ody (great resource for herbs and what type of remedy works best for herb.)

p.s. Penelope Ody lists these herbs for "Elderly Ailments" of "Forgetfulness or Confusion" as they support the kidney health: Gotu Kola (aerial parts), Amalaki (fruit), Purple Sage (leaves of Salvia Officinalis var. purpurea).

Hope this information helps!  Good luck on improving brain functions for your husband!

Matt McSpadden wrote:Hi Ann,
This is not really an answer, but something to think about.

With type 1 and type 2 diabetes, there are different body parts that develop an insulin immunity. Some scientists and Docs are starting to call alzheimers type 3 diabetes (not officially), when the brain is insulin resistant. If sugar related problems can cause something that effects memory as much as alzheimers, then I would imagine a diet to reverse insulin immunity aught to be beneficial for memory in general.

Also, the brain is like 60% fat. The brain is very important. I would suggest making sure he is getting plenty of the good kinds of fats. Your body can use the cheap oils/fats to build stuff with... but it doesn't do a very good job. It's like building a desk with wet sawdust board vs building it out of oak.  

I like what Matt had to say. Although I am concerned that seed oils may be far worse than the analogy suggests. I’ve personally made avoiding seed oils one of my highest dietary priorities, but that’s for another topic.

The insulin aspect is interesting. It does appear to me that many health issues (including cognitive health) are rooted in metabolic health and inflammation—two subjects that are often related as well. A low carbohydrate diet(along with a laundry list of supplements) has been shown to reverse some types of Alzheimer’s and milder forms of dementia by Dale Brednesen at UCLA. There is also a couple who have had similar results supposedly with a “Mediterranean” diet, but I don’t know much about that.

The commonality between these diets is that they both keep insulin low, nutrition high, and avoid refined foods. It isn’t just cognitive health where we see two diets that may seem like opposites both getting results, it also happens in diabetes studies and heart disease reversal. Low carb has been mainstream for diabetes for quite a while now. On the other hand, Neal Barnard has reversed diabetes with a low fat, high carb diet.

Dr. Esselstyn seems to have reversed heart disease with a very low fat, high carb diet. And while I haven’t seen any studies yet, I’ve heard of people reversing heart disease with a keto carnivore diet. The point with all of this is that I believe we have to pick a team if we wish to reverse metabolic damage. Team high carb/low fat, or team high fat/low carb. Only metabolically healthy individuals can have carbs and fat together in decent quantities. But once again, I’m only talking about unrefined foods(and I consider seed oils a refined food). Seed oils in particular should be avoided regardless of which team a person picks in my opinion.

Carbs eaten alone(very low fat, fairly low protein) will spike insulin only briefly. Once a person gets into a habit of eating this way, the insulin come down quicker and quicker. Fat alone hardly does anything to insulin. And fat with protein only has a mild impact on insulin. To be clear, only fat and carbs make good fuel sources. Protein is mainly for cell repair(but it is used for emergency glucose production). High Fat+High carbs= Sustained elevated insulin. Personally, my vote is for a high fat, low carb, animal based diet to reverse illness due to the abundance of nutrients. But I have no issue with people who wish to do the high carb, low fat, and potentially vegan thing.

My mom has moderate memory issues. We’ve tried a lot of supplements from Dale Brednesen’s book ‘The End of Alzheimer’s’, but as Dale says himself, the diet is more important. I’ve noticed time and time again that when my mom eats at restaurants a few times within a week she has more issues with memory, focus, and understanding what I’m saying. I’ve seen it clearly over and over again for several years now. When she cooks dinner it’s usually low carb. Her breakfast and lunch are fairly low carb since breakfast is just yogurt with some toppings and lunch is a salad.

I had her use my keto blood meter for a while, so I know she was in ketosis at least some of the time. She has been following my advice to eat breakfast after she goes to the gym in the morning so she’s exercising in a fasted state. And this way I at least know she’s staying in ketosis until her late breakfast (which may have honey and berries some days, so I think those days she could go out of ketosis).

I’ve written elsewhere on permies about her success with beef organ supplements and allergies. Because it worked so well, she was willing to try another supplement from Heart and Soil which contains desiccated brain and bone marrow. Her mood has definitely improved since taking that. Mood and cognitive health tend to be related too, as Dale discusses in the  book. It’s understandable how cognitive issues could ruin one’s mood. I can’t say for certain her memory has improved, and I do feel that her choices at restaurants may be inhibiting the the supplement’s usefulness. However, it’s worth it just for her mood improvement.

Diet is number one in my opinion. I suggest picking a team, getting rid of seed oils regardless of the team, and avoiding other refined foods like it’s the plague.

@Kevin
I have not researched the seed oils as much, how about "It's like building a desk out of moldy cardboard..." ?

haha :)

The Mediterranean and DASH diets combined, called the MIND diet, is supposed to help decrease memory/cognitive problems. Healthy fats are included in this. What helps your heart stay healthy  generally helps keep your mind healthy, too, they're linked.

Hi, have you looked into carnivore diet.
Check out video on youtube...
No.1 dementia treatment | Hal Cranmer.

Krystyna, welcome to the forum.

I am not familiar with a diet called the carnivore diet though thanks for the suggestion.

We are big on eating meat so many times we only have meat, something I learned from doing low or no carb from Dr. Atkins.