Dr. Sandra Black, a cognitive neurologist at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto, says that with normal aging, short-term memory is blurred and brain processing speeds slow down every decade after the age of 50. To help address these reductions, Black is looking for ways to enhance memory backed by scientific evidence.

1. Move

Exercise, from walking to running, is a memory enhancer supported by more and more research. Directions to Canada recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week for adults. “When you do aerobics, when you are on this run, your muscles actually release a signal. “It’s called irisin,” Black said. “It really stimulates the part of the brain that stores information and learns things.” The recent discovery of irisin protein is based on other research which connects muscle and brain functionBlack told Dr. Brian Goldman, his host The CBC podcast The dose. Dr. Sandra Black encourages walking and more physical activity that nourishes the heart as beneficial to mental abilities such as memory and language. (Submitted by Sandra Black) When she sees patients, Black says she talks about why lifestyle choices, such as exercise, are important. Since a healthy brain needs a lot of oxygen, what protects our blood vessels, heart and circulation also supplies the brain. Black and other experts encourage walking or more physical activities that feed the heart, for their benefits in cognitive abilities such as memory and language.

2. Eat the good things

Black suggests eating a Mediterranean diet rich in green, leafy vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and kale, as well as berries, whole grains, nuts and fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The advice is based on studies followed by people in different populations who appeared to have a lower prevalence of Alzheimer’s and vascular disease, compared with populations following other dietary patterns. The Dose20: 41 What Can I Do to Enhance My Memory? What else works? In one that was published clinical trialResearchers have shown that medium-chain triglycerides, found mainly in coconut oil, may help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease compared to taking a sugar pill used by gold standard regulators to approve drugs. Your best bet is to consume healthy nutrients through a varied diet consisting mainly of whole foods, not supplements that promise these benefits in pill form. Black said that patients who can take supplements are not asked to stop if they can afford it, but neither does her team. This is because the scientific evidence in favor of many supplements fails to get it placebo effect given, or the tests were not large enough to measure the result, he said. CLOCKS More praises for the Mediterranean diet:

More praise for the Mediterranean diet

3. Enjoy word games with others

Penny Pexman, a professor of psychology at the University of Calgary who studies the cognitive neurosciences, suggests activities that combine exercise, socialization and knowledge. Pexman’s lab focuses on how language is processed, including a study entitled This is your brain in Scrabble. Scrabble players who enjoy the game and its social benefits are motivated to score higher, Pexman said. In addition to the social benefits of meeting to play, Pexman’s research suggests that competing Scrabble players also recognize words faster than those who did not normally tile, especially for words that appear vertically. “My best recommendation, based on what I know, is to do things like dance or pickleball,” Pexman said. “You have things that involve some spatial skills, burden your working memory and also offer you social … benefits.” Pickleball is a training for both spatial skills and working memory that also offers social benefits. (Brian Blanco / The Associated Press Images for Humana)

Because not everything is downhill

Pexman also studies age-related changes and notes that many, but not all, cognitive abilities begin to decline around the age of 30.
“There are things, however, that you can continue to grow,” Pexman said. “Your vocabulary grows throughout your life.” Black also shows the wisdom and knowledge we gain with age. “You have a little more trouble finding words, but you know a lot more about the world,” Black said. A 25-year-old may be faster, but a wise elder in many societies has a richer understanding of culture than his life experience, he added.