If you are worried about dementia… “Don’t just rely on your smartphone, use your head first.”

Some decline in memory and cognitive function is a natural phenomenon of the aging process. However, if you notice changes such as increased depression or anxiety, increased aggression such as swearing at others, or decreased ability to perform daily activities, it is a good idea to seek counseling from a professional.

However, if you experience occasional decline in cognitive function, such as not remembering where you put things or not being able to remember certain words, it may be part of the normal aging process, so you need to make efforts to improve your brain health in your daily life.

According to a neuropsychology research team at the University of California, San Francisco, cognitive abilities related to multitasking and work processing speed usually peak around the age of thirty, and then decline slightly.

Therefore, rather than worrying too much about unexpected changes, it is important to create wise lifestyle habits and improve your ability to maintain concentration and sharp thinking for a longer period of time. In relation to this, we summarized habits and foods that are good for maintaining memory based on data from American health and medical media outlets such as ‘WebMD’ and Fox News.

|Healthy habits to improve memory|

“Don’t search first, think first”=If I can’t remember something, I immediately search the Internet. Since the advent of smart devices, people have developed the habit of searching immediately.

However, this is actually not a good habit for our cognitive function. There are many people who show symptoms of ‘digital amnesia’, where they are unable to remember trivial things due to their high dependence on cell phones.

Experts say, “The human brain is like a machine that loses its function if it is not used.” In other words, you must continue the process of learning new things and recalling them in order to activate brain areas related to memory, such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.

When you need to work quickly, your dependence on Internet searches increases, but when you have more time, you need to reduce your dependence on the Internet and make an effort to think about things on your own.

“Exercise consistently”=Moving the body improves blood flow and properly supplies oxygen and nutrients to the brain. According to a research team at the University of Illinois, when adults aged 55 to 80 were asked to walk briskly for 40 minutes three times a week, the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain, was found to be 2% larger than the control group.

“Don’t do many things at once”=Multitasking, handling multiple tasks at once, may seem like a productive activity, but in reality, our brains are designed to prevent us from concentrating on multiple tasks at once. In other words, multitasking causes stress and makes work less efficient or prone to errors compared to the effort it takes.

Stress also reduces study and work efficiency in that it promotes the secretion of hormones that interfere with short-term memory. In other words, it is better to perform ‘mono-tasking’, which involves performing only one task at a time, rather than multi-tasking whenever possible. If possible, you can increase the efficiency of monotasking by setting a time limit and checking your smartphone or email only at that specific time rather than constantly looking at it while working.

|Foods that help improve memory|

apologize=If you take one pill every day, your head will become clearer. Quercetin, an antioxidant, prevents inflammation in the brain. Inflammation of the brain reduces cognitive ability in the long term. Quercetin is concentrated in the apple peel, so this part should not be discarded. Eating an apple as an afternoon snack improves concentration and alertness. Fiber provides a feeling of fullness.

egg=The choline contained in egg yolk is converted into acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter in the brain, in the body. Acetylcholine improves memory and reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s. Many studies have shown that choline not only improves attention and memory, but also improves test scores.

blackberry=Blackberries contain polyphenol, an antioxidant. It is an ingredient that prevents memory damage due to aging. By reducing inflammation, polyphenols help your brain function similar to when it was younger. Blackberries can be mixed into yogurt or smoothies, or eaten alone as a snack. It is even better because it contains vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

spinach=If you eat one serving three times a day, your brain will work sharply and your body will become slimmer. It is rich in folic acid, a mineral that improves memory, and vitamins E and K that prevent cognitive decline. In addition, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and orange or green vegetables also improve memory.