You walk into the kitchen and stand there. Whatever you came for is gone. Or you’re chatting with someone you’ve known for years and their name just won’t come. It happens to most of us more as the decades up, and it’s irritating, sometimes a little scary. But forgetting stuff doesn’t mean your memory is failing. Attention, processing speed, and the knack of pulling a fact up on demand all shift with age, so learning and remembering get less efficient.
Not all memory loss is ordinary aging, though, and it helps to know which is which. It also helps to know what actually protects the brain and where supplements designed for brain health fit, because there’s a lot of marketing noise around that last one.
Why memory slips with age
Memory isn’t stored in one spot. The hippocampus is responsible for creating new memories and the prefrontal cortex is responsible for attention, planning, and retrieval. These areas of the brain, and the connections between them, develop and evolve as we grow older, and learning something new or remembering a detail requires more effort.
Processing speed tends to slow, and so does the efficiency of some memory networks. Typically, vocabulary and general knowledge stay intact. An older person may take a bit longer to remember a name or learn a new phone number, but this is not necessarily evidence of memory loss.
The American Brain Foundation makes the point that both biology and lifestyle shape how the brain ages. Nobody can stop aging, obviously, but working on certain risk factors may help brain function hold up longer.
What makes forgetfulness worse
Typically, it’s more than one thing on its own.
Changes in the brain itself are part of it. There are many differences from person to person and they don’t always signal Alzheimer’s.
Sleep is more important than many realise. It’s when memories get fixed and helps to hold people’s attention throughout the day. You may find yourself feeling foggy and forgetful because of insomnia, sleep apnea or a lighter sleep that is sometimes experienced as you get older.
Stress, anxiety and depression interfere as well. The difficulty may not be memory loss; it may be that the information didn’t get into the mind because it was being used elsewhere and didn’t exist there.
Then there are medications and health conditions. Some antihistamines, sedatives, and anticholinergic drugs can cloud thinking. In large studies, stronger anticholinergics (certain bladder medications and antidepressants, for example) have been linked to a higher risk of dementia. B12 deficiency, thyroid problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, and vascular disease can all affect the brain as well.
And the everyday stuff adds up over the years: not moving much, smoking, drinking a lot, eating poorly, not seeing many people.
Normal forgetfulness or something more?
You can get lost in a name for a minute, lose your glasses, take longer to learn a new gadget, etc. – that’s all normal. Usually people stay independent, and the missing detail often turns up later on its own.
When the same question is asked over and over, and a familiar place has been lost, tasks are difficult, or a person is slowly becoming more confused, things are different. The symptoms can be a sign of mild cognitive impairment or dementia, such as Alzheimer’s.
If memory issues continue or get worse, have them checked out. Some causes can be treated, like medication side effects, sleep disorders, depression, and nutritional deficiencies.
Looking after your brain
Habits matter here. Walking, cycling, strength training, whatever you can do, are good for your heart and can manage risk factors associated with cognitive decline. It’s no surprise that the WHO’s recommendations for reducing the risk of dementia are in the same direction – toward physical activity and cardiovascular risk management.
Food is a bit more complicated. The brain needs vegetables, berries, whole grains, nuts, legumes, fish and healthy fats—and both Mediterranean and MIND diets have received a lot of attention for potential benefits to cognition. However, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine did not show a statistically significant cognitive decline when comparing those who participated in the MIND diet with a control group after 3 years. It’s still a healthy way to eat. It may or may not prevent decline, but for the moment, no one knows.
In addition, a consistent sleep pattern, stress management, learning new skills, reading, hobbies and spending time with others all aid. So does keeping blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol in check.
What about supplements?
Brain supplements are sold on promises of memory, focus, and “mental clarity.” Some nutrients truly are essential for the nervous system, but whether a pill does anything for you depends on what your body is missing.
Take B12. It nourishes nerves and the production of red blood cells, and a deficiency may lead to neurological problems and difficulty with thought. Addressing a deficiency is helpful. However, there is no convincing evidence that taking extra B12 on top of regular levels, or other B vitamins, boost cognition in cognitively healthy individuals, according to a Cochrane review.
Omega-3s are the same. Even though DHA is a significant component of the membranes of brain cells, no evidence has been found to support the use of supplements for preventing dementia or improving memory in healthy older adults. The Cochrane review of the trials concluded there was no benefit for cognitive decline.
Multivitamins rich brain health formula are the more hopeful case. A 2023 NIH study suggested that older adults took a daily multivitamin, and that it was associated with slight improvements in their memory over the course of three years. Modest is the word. It doesn’t prove that multivitamins can help prevent dementia, and it doesn’t imply that all types are the same.
With vitamin E, B-complex, ginkgo biloba and antioxidant combinations, the results are mixed at best.
Supplements are best used to fill a nutritional need, rather than a substitute for good nutrition, exercise, sleep and/or medical treatment. When using prescription medications, please consult with a health care professional.
When to see a doctor
If memory loss keeps going, gets worse, or starts interfering with daily life, see a provider. They’ll probably review your medications, sleep, mood, nutrition, and other conditions. Sudden confusion is a separate matter and needs urgent attention.
Bottom line
Memory loss is common with age and is largely due to changes in paying attention, processing speed, sleep, and retrieval. But forgetfulness is no ordinary “old age” thing. A healthy brain is supported by exercise, proper nutrition, rest, keeping your mind engaged, and managing chronic diseases.
A deficiency can be corrected with supplements, and those multivitamin studies are fascinating, but there are no supplements proven to prevent dementia.
References:
Brain Aging Explained: What Speeds It Up, and What We Can Do to Prolong Brain Health
Anticholinergic Drug Exposure and the Risk of Dementia: A Nested Case-Control Study – PMC
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6593623/
Trial of the MIND Diet for Prevention of Cognitive Decline in Older Persons | New England Journal of Medicine
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2302368?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
No evidence of the efficacy of vitamin B12 supplementation for cognitive function | Cochrane
Daily multivitamin may enhance memory in older adults | National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Thank you for reading.
