What is the Best Supplement to Improve Memory?

If you are thinking about taking a brain-health supplement to improve your memory, you are not alone. 

Brain-health supplements to improve memory and concentration are very popular, with sales reaching $3 billion in 2016 alone. 

However, it can be hard to figure out what supplements have the best evidence supporting their use. 

Further, it can be difficult to figure out which supplements are the safest to take.

What Does the Research Say?

Clinical trials are largely inconclusive when it comes to the benefit of supplements on memory. Experts think that many studies may simply be too short to find a long-term benefit of certain supplements. Further muddling the picture, researchers measure memory in a variety of ways. Many different types of memory exist, including:

• Global cognition: Overall brain function. This type of brain health is a broad measure of all the different parameters of memory and thinking.
• Declarative memory: Remembering facts and events. An example of declarative memory is knowing that Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address.
• Episodic memory: Remembering specific facts in the context of your personal experience. An example of episodic memory is remembering where you were when you heard that planes crashed into the World Trade Center on 9/11/01.
• Working memory: Short-term memory. An example of working memory is being able to read a story and follow the plot.

However, some data suggest that antioxidants may be useful in healthy adults, particularly seniors. Antioxidants may be particularly useful in declarative and working memory. Some research shows that antioxidants and B vitamins such as Vitamins B6, B12 and folate may also be helpful in global cognition.

How Do Antioxidants Work?

Scientists are still studying how antioxidants work in the body and improve memory. However, research shows that antioxidants may work in several ways, such as:

• Helping cells communicate with each other: Scientists think this may be one of the main ways that antioxidants like flavonoids help protect from illness including cognitive problems. Antioxidants like flavonoids may help cells better communicate with each other and may block certain actions in the cell that would be harmful to the cell’s health.
• Promoting cell growth and survival: Experts think that antioxidants like flavonoids may have helpful effects in the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center. They may help the formation of neurons, or brain cells, and further help these neurons form synapses, or connections, with nearby cells. They may also help protect neurons in the hippocampus from damaging chemicals like certain cytokines that cause inflammation. They may also increase the brain’s production of nitric oxide, which improves blood flow to the brain and keeps blood vessels healthy.
• Getting rid of free radicals: Free radicals are unstable molecules that are naturally formed in the body. They can also occur from exposure to sunlight, pollution and cigarette smoke. They then trigger a process called oxidative stress, which can harm cells. Experts think free radicals play a role in the development of many diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease, a neurological condition which often leads to dementia. Antioxidants counteract this process, protecting cells. Science shows that Vitamin C may be more potent at fighting free radicals in the body than other antioxidants.
• Binding metals in the body that trigger free radicals: Antioxidants like flavonoids can chelate, or bind, metals in the body that might otherwise lead to free radical production. These metals include iron and copper. Medical conditions where these metals are present at a high level may benefit most from antioxidant use.

What Are Examples of Antioxidants?

Antioxidants are found in many different foods and herbs. Plant-based antioxidants like those found in polyphenols and flavonoids can help protect both plants and human cells from damage. Examples of antioxidant-containing substances include:

• Polyphenols: Polyphenols come from phenylalanine and shikimic acid. They protect cells from infection, stress and radiation. An example of a polyphenol is best turmeric supplement.
• Flavonoids: Flavonoids are a subtype of polyphenol. They are found in many fruits and vegetables. An example of a flavonoid is quercetin, which is found in all plants. Multiple subtypes of flavonoids exist, including:
  • Anthocyanidins: Found in berries, grapes and red wine
  • Flavan-3-ols: Found in green tea, cocoa, grapes, apples, red wine and berries
  • Flavonols: Found in vegetables like onions, scallions, kale and broccoli. Also found in apples, berries and tea
  • Flavones: Found in herbs like parsley and thyme. Also found in vegetables like celery and hot peppers.
  • Isoflavones: Found in legumes and soy products
  • Glucosides and Glycosides: Plants use these substances for storage. They are often found in polyphenols and their flavonoid derivatives. For example, saponin, which is found in herbs like ginseng, is a type of glycoside.
  • Certain Vitamins and Minerals: Vitamin C, Vitamin E and beta-carotene are often found in brightly-colored fruits and vegetables. Selenium is a mineral antioxidant found in foods like tuna and salmon.