Certain vitamins and fatty acids have been said to slow or prevent memory loss. The long list of potential solutions includes vitamins like vitamin B12, herbal supplements such as ginkgo biloba, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Plan tasks, make to-do lists, and use memory tools such as calendars and notes. Put your wallet or purse, keys, phone, and glasses in the same place each day. Stay involved in activities that can help both the mind and body. Volunteer in your community, at a school, or at your place of worship.*
Vitamin B-12 helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells. A vitamin B-12 deficiency — common in older adults — can cause memory problems. Hypothyroidism. An underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) can result in forgetfulness and other thinking problems.
Forgetfulness can arise from stress, depression, lack of sleep or thyroid problems. Other causes include side effects from certain medicines, an unhealthy diet or not having enough fluids in your body (dehydration). Taking care of these underlying causes may help resolve your memory problems.
Common causes
Lyndsay shared some: Depression, anxiety and stress – “These are common causes of forgetfulness,” Lyndsay said. “Stress and mood disturbances can act as a distraction and make it difficult to focus, which can lead to memory problems.”
Brain fog is characterized by confusion, forgetfulness, and a lack of focus and mental clarity. This can be caused by overworking, lack of sleep, stress, and spending too much time on the computer.
Though there is evidence to suggest that people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease and dementia are often deficient in this vitamin, studies have found that taking supplements or increasing dietary vitamin B12 does not improve memory function in those living with the disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Brain trauma, or a brain disease, can lead to a severe form of forgetfulness called amnesia. Typical patients either forget information from their past, are unable to make new memories, or experience both types.
Introduction: The five-word test (5WT) is a serial verbal memory test with semantic cuing. It is proposed to rapidly evaluate memory of aging people and has previously shown its sensitivity and its specificity in identifying patients with AD.
Memantine (Namenda) is approved by the FDA for treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. It works by regulating the activity of glutamate, a messenger chemical widely involved in brain functions — including learning and memory. It's taken as a pill or syrup.
Like vitamin D, vitamin B12 has so many mental benefits. Getting enough vitamin B12 may give you more energy, improve memory, and make learning new things easier. It also has been shown to help improve mood and lessen depressive symptoms.
A deficiency in several nutrients could potentially contribute to brain fog, including vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids. Low levels of magnesium, vitamin C, and choline may also cause brain fog, but more research is needed.
Vitamin C is probably the best-known vitamin, and it's excellent at fighting brain fog—both as an antioxidant and by helping regulate hormone production. And that's on top of its many other benefits, like supporting immunity and healing, healthy skin and bones, and your eyesight.
While spacing out can simply be a sign that you are sleep deprived, stressed, or distracted, it can also be due to a transient ischemic attack, seizure, hypotension, hypoglycemia, migraine, transient global amnesia, fatigue, narcolepsy, or drug misuse.
Severe stress, depression, a vitamin B12 deficiency, too little or too much sleep, some prescription drugs and infections can all play a role. Even if those factors don't explain your memory lapses, you don't need to simply resign yourself to memory loss as you age.
Health problems that can cause confusion or decreased alertness include: Infections, such as a urinary tract infection, respiratory infection, or sepsis. Alzheimer's disease. Asthma or COPD, which cause a decrease in the amount of oxygen or an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood.
Some memory problems are the result of treatable conditions, and memory loss can often be reversed when the condition is treated correctly. Possible causes of reversible memory loss can include: Minor head injury/trauma such as concussion. Side effects of some medications.
If you're frequently forgetting things that you always remembered before, that can be a red flag for mental deterioration or the onset of dementia. In general, if you are worried enough to ask yourself this question, you should speak to your doctor.
What are the foods that fight memory loss? Berries, fish, and leafy green vegetables are 3 of the best foods that fight memory loss. There's a mountain of evidence showing they support and protect brain health.