The 5 best ways to sharpen your memory: remember names. Know where your keys are. Never have a frustrating memory lapse again. It's easier than you th

IF YOU WORRY THAT YOUR MEMORY'S failing, here's some encouraging news. A recent study says that you don't lose your memory as you age; you just temporarily lose access to some parts of it when neuron connections don't function properly. Research also shows that making simple lifestyle choices can improve neuron function--preventing and even reversing problems with recall. Here, experts reveal the five most effective habits you can adopt to improve your memory.

1. Indulge in Caffeine and Chocolate.

Memory experts say consuming a little caffeine and chocolate each day may help you remember information better. But you need to choose the right kinds.


Strive to get your caffeine from black or green tea. You'll get a slight boost from the caffeine, which will make you feel more alert so you can absorb new information, explains Jeff Victoroff, M.D., associate professor of clinical neurology at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and author of Saving Your Brain (Bantam, 2002). You'll also be taking in important antioxidants that stave off brain cell damage. Just don't drink your tea with milk, Victoroff says, because milk interferes with the absorption of those antioxidants.

When you buy chocolate, choose dark varieties made with at least 60 percent cocoa, recommends Victoroff. (Most American chocolate, including dark, is made with very little cocoa, so you should look for French or Belgian brands; Valrhona is one brand that's available in some gourmet and natural food stores.) Although more research is needed, researchers suspect that compounds in dark chocolate called procyanidins counteract oxidation and inflammation, two conditions that age the brain. Some scientists think procyanidins also improve memory by increasing blood circulation so your brain gets more oxygen and nutrients, explains Victoroff.

2. Sleep on It.

Common sense dictates that if you get a good night's sleep, your brain functions better and you remember better. Several studies suggest that during sleep, your brain processes your experiences from the day, strengthening the connections between neurons that were formed when you were awake. This may allow you to remember the information more easily the next day.

Scientists also think that while you sleep your brain weakens strong neuron connections to make room for new ones. "You can think of [the weakening of connections] as pruning away unneeded things," explains Marcos Frank, Ph.D., assistant professor of neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

To maintain memory, most people need to get about eight hours of sleep a night. Some research suggests that intense aerobic exercise and a 60- to 90-minute hot bath can help you get that amount. Researchers say those activities may help you sleep better by increasing body temperature or helping release hormones that trigger sleep. For the sedation effect, be sure to do these activities at least two hours before you go to sleep; if you do them too close to your bedtime, they'll keep you awake.

3. Work It Out.

Experts agree that aerobic exercise improves your memory by doing more than just enhancing your sleep quality. Anytime you do at least moderate exercise (like brisk walking), your brain receives a larger-than-usual supply of blood, explains Victoroff. More blood means your brain gets more nutrients and oxygen, both of which help neurons work more efficiently.

Aerobic exercise also improves memory by relieving stress, Victoroff says. When you're stressed, your body releases hormones like cortisol, which boost your energy to help you cope with a challenging situation. However, these hormones also travel to your brain and damage your memory center. Animal studies show that after just a few days of exposure to elevated cortisol levels, brain cells in the memory center start to die. But exercise allows your body to burn off that extra stress-induced energy, which reduces cortisol levels. Most experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, like walking or biking, daily.

4. Eat the Right Fats.

You need to eat fat daily to maintain brain power. But as with chocolate and caffeine, you need to choose the right kind. Studies show that omega-3 fatty acids can keep you from losing cognitive function. Certain kinds of fish and fish oil supplements, flaxseeds and flaxseed supplements, and canola, soy, and walnut oils contain these fatty acids, but some research suggests that whole fish is the best form for brain function. This may mean that fishes contain other brain-enhancing compounds. "If I had to give a single easy-to-remember piece of advice," says Victoroff, "I'd say eating 4 ounces of fatty fish [like salmon or sardines] four times a week probably does your brain a lot of good."

On the flip side, experts agree that trans fats (found in hydrogenated oils) are the worst fats for your memory. Eating a diet high in trans fats is associated with narrowed blood vessels in the brain and limited blood flow. A high-trans-fat diet also lowers levels of HDL cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol that helps ward off blockages in blood vessels. Trans fats are in chips, french fries, and baked goods that contain margarine or shortening.

5. Challenge Your Brain.

Research shows that the more intellectually stimulating your occupation is, the better your brain functions throughout your life. But don't despair if your job is dull. A few studies suggest that adopting intellectually challenging hobbies like crossword puzzles or reading can also boost your brain power.

It's not clear how mind-stimulating work and hobbies improve memory. According to one theory, challenging your brain prevents cognitive deterioration by strengthening the neural connections that you use most often, says Randy Buckner, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. The more situations you expose your brain to and the more challenging or stimulating those experiences are, the stronger the neural connections grow. Others theorize that those connections deteriorate no matter what you do, but stimulating your brain intellectually forces it to create other connections to compensate for deterioration, explains Buckner.


You should probably choose a hobby that challenges parts of your brain that you don't use at work, although longterm research hasn't been done to prove this idea. Preliminary evidence shows that with this approach you'll build connections between neurons where you're most likely to lack them, says Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., president and medical director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Foundation in Tucson, Ariz. "If you have an intellectual job, the best thing for your brain is to go home and play music, paint, or walk in nature."

Getting Started

Quick Memory Chargers

The best memory improvements come from long-term lifestyle changes. But if you need a quick memory boost--like before a meeting--try one of these three tips.

1. Load up on carbohydrates, especially healthy complex carbohydrates like bananas, kidney beans, and whole-grain bread. Carbohydrates release sugar into your bloodstream where it travels to your brain and boosts brain function for up to an hour, says Randall Kaplan, Ph.D., who conducted research on this topic at the University of Toronto and Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto. But beware: When the glucose kick ends, you may feel groggy.

2. Drink a caffeinated beverage 20 minutes before you need a memory charge. Studies show that caffeine will make you feel more alert, which may help you remember information better. But you don't want to overdo it, says Jeff Victoroff, M.D., a neurology professor at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. If you're wired on caffeine as you acquire information, you may not be able to retrieve it later unless you're in the same wired state.

3. Don't try so hard, advises Martha Storandt, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. If you can't remember someone's name, continue on with your conversation and don't dwell on trying to recall the name. It's more likely to come to you if you don't stress about it.

Clare Horn, the associate editor at Natural Health, looks forward to eating dark chocolate to help her remember people's names.