Mind & Memory

April 27, 2023

By admin

Nutrients support healthy brain function

Magnesium and vitamins enhance memory

Raising magnesium levels in the brain and neurons appears to improve memory. In this study, 102 healthy men and women, aged 18 to 65, took a placebo or 400 mg of magnesium L-threonate, 80 IU vitamin D, 12 mg vitamin C, 4 mg vitamin B6, and 50 mg phosphatidylserine, half in the morning, half at bedtime.

Before the study and after 30 days, doctors administered the Clinical Memory Test, measuring several domains of cognition: remembering 12 words from a list of 24; associating pairs of related words, and pairs of unrelated words; remembering 15 familiar, everyday images; recognizing abstract graphics; linking face portraits with the surname, career, and hobby shown before; as well as general cognition and memory.

In all measures, the magnesium group saw scores improve by 35.6 to 60.9 percent, while the placebo group did not improve. Doctors said the threonate form of magnesium is highly bioavailable.

Reference: Nutrients; 2022, Vol. 14, No. 24, 5235

Flavonols preserve cognition

Older adults with higher flavonols in the diet slowed age-related decline in cognition. The study included 961 men and women, average age 81, without dementia, who answered a dietary questionnaire and took cognitive and memory tests annually.

After an average of seven years of follow-up, those who got at least 15 mg of total flavonols per day—equal to a cup of dark, leafy greens—had higher scores on 19 cognitive tests, and a slower rate of
cognitive decline per decade, compared to those who got the least flavonols; about 5 mg per day. Particular components of flavonols varied in their effect on cognition, with kaempferol having the greatest benefit, followed by myricetin, and quercetin.

Discussing the findings, doctors said the results build on prior research showing flavonols are bioactive and possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties that influence cognition.

Reference: Neurology; 2023, Vol. 100, No. 7, 201541

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