Introduction
Our memory serves as the gateway to all of our past experiences in life. If our memory does not function properly, then we have lost the essence of ourselves and who we are. Unfortunately, memory disorders and related mental health problems are on the rise today. You may be wondering what you can do to help keep your memory intact and maintain who you are. I would argue that a well-formulated memory supplement deserves a place alongside the other tools at your disposal to help you support your cognition, particularly your memory and focus. Like anything else, you should do your homework before you purchase any product that is promoted as a memory enhancer.
Five Reasons To Consider A Memory Supplement
If you have known someone with a memory disorder, then you know firsthand how difficult it is for a person to lose the ability to recall people, places, and events. Thus, the most obvious first reason to consider products referred to as memory pills or memory vitamins would be for the goal of supporting your memory as you age. Second, taking a brain supplement or memory supplement is not directed at memory and focus alone, because the nutrients and phytonutrients it supplies are used throughout the body rather than in one organ by itself. For example, my colleagues and I measured both cognitive and immune outcomes in adults with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease taking the aloe polysaccharides and other key nutrients found in Daily Brain Care over twelve months (Lewis et al., 2013). Third, cognition and physical function are interrelated and reliant on each other to work in unison to support your overall health (Ströhle, 2009). Fourth, mood and memory travel together more often than most people realize, and researchers have reported that depressive symptoms predict later memory complaints in older adults (Yoon et al., 2019), which is one good reason to discuss both with your physician rather than either one on its own. Fifth, by supporting your cognition as you age, you support the independence and the quality of life that rest upon it. All of these reasons matter, and none of them requires me to promise you an outcome that no dietary supplement can deliver.
Which Memory Supplement Should You Take?
A memory supplement should ideally be tested with thoughtful and well-executed research before it is sold to consumers. Unfortunately, for many memory vitamins, more often than not the marketing claims do not match the science behind them. I graded the published evidence behind each major ingredient in my guide to the best supplements for memory loss. Thus, it is important for you to consider the reputation of the company selling the product and the claims related to memory and focus that are made about their memory pills or products. While much research on dietary supplements over the years has focused on common issues like heart health and weight loss, the emphasis on memory has been catching up over the last several years. For example, you may be familiar with some of the research on memory and nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and curcumin (i.e., an extract of turmeric). My colleagues and I reviewed twenty-one nutrients and phytonutrients for their effects on cognitive function, and we described what the published human evidence showed for each one (Lewis et al., 2021). A narrative review of that kind maps the evidence rather than ranking one product against another, and I will not stretch it into a claim it cannot support. What I can tell you is that the combination of aloe polysaccharides with stabilized rice bran, flax seed, and tart cherry is the formula my colleagues and I carried into a twelve-month clinical trial, which few products in this category can say. You can read more about that work and how it shaped the company on my About page.
Conclusion
If you are not already taking a well-researched memory supplement, then in my opinion you are missing an opportunity to enhance the quality of your life. Our memory is the key to our mental wellbeing, and it is important for our physical function and independence. It is up to you to take care of your memory, just like you would any other part of your being, and you owe it to yourself to consider utilizing a memory supplement to help you accomplish that. As with any dietary supplement, talk with your physician before beginning, particularly if you take prescription medication. I cannot encourage you enough to include a memory supplement as part of your regular, daily routine.
References
Lewis JE, McDaniel HR, Agronin ME, Loewenstein DA, Riveros J, Mestre R, Martinez M, Colina N, Abreu D, Konefal J, Woolger JM, Ali KH. The effect of an aloe polymannose multinutrient complex on cognitive and immune functioning in Alzheimer’s disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2013;33(2):393-406. doi: 10.3233/JAD-2012-121381. PMID: 22976077.
Lewis JE, Poles J, Shaw DP, Karhu E, Khan SA, Lyons AE, Sacco SB, McDaniel HR. The effects of twenty-one nutrients and phytonutrients on cognitive function: A narrative review. J Clin Transl Res. 2021 Aug 4;7(4):575-620. PMID: 34541370.
Ströhle A. Physical activity, exercise, depression and anxiety disorders. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2009 Jun;116(6):777-84. doi: 10.1007/s00702-008-0092-x. PMID: 18726137.
Yoon JS, Charness N, Boot WR, Czaja SJ, Rogers WA. Depressive Symptoms as a Predictor of Memory Complaints in the PRISM Sample. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2019 Jan 10;74(2):254-263. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbx070. PMID: 28575476.
