Thwart Theft of Memory Bandits

"Prudy, where're my keys," I overheard a friend's 30-year-old husband inquire, not so softly.

Putting a planner, keys or other items in a different place can challenge memory no matter your age. To counter forgetful moments, maintaining blood sugar levels, even in the absence of disease, may be an important strategy for preserving cognitive health. Recently, Columbia University Medical Center researchers discovered that high blood sugar can cause you to be "hippocampically challenged."

Memories are stored in your brain's hippocampus, whether new words of a foreign language you're memorizing, an equation to use for an algebraic problem, or where you put down your keys.

"In the era on an aging population, memory is the new sex," David Brooks, Op-ed columnist for the New York Times, claims. So what can be done to keep your brainpower at optimum?

Three actions do much to keep brain's hippocampus at prime performance: maintain blood sugar levels, get plenty of exercise and challenge mind by learning in new areas.

Limit sugar intake People need some sugar to maintain health but too many cans of soda, too many rich desserts and candy consumed from your desk at work are some ways folks can begin to make changes. Regular check-ups at your physician's help you keep a pulse on this.

Regular aerobic exercise When it comes to the hippocampus, the part of your brain vital to certain types of memory, size matters. Numerous studies have shown that bigger is usually better. Now researchers discovered that elderly adults who are more physically fit tend to have bigger hippocampi and better spatial memory than those less fit.

Novelty stokes memory "Not surprisingly, memory strengthens and the brain’s rejuvenated, Dr. Ellen Weber reports, "in the presence of novelty." She adds...

How does it happen? Your brain’s hippocampus releases a shot of dopamine in response to novelty. Anthony Grace at the University of Pittsburgh describes a feedback loop that involves a chemical and electrical interactions between dopamine and novel or unexpected events. This lively process appears to lock in memory, as it also engages the amygdala where the brain processes emotional information.

Keeping the brain in mind as you age?