Memory hacks:
popular myths
and recent
discoveries
UQ mythbusters
How healthy is your memory? If you’ve ever found yourself amid a string of frustrating brain-fades, you might have wondered whether you should take up a memory-boosting habit, like doing puzzles every day or taking supplements, to improve your cognitive health.
But how many of these popular memory-improving hacks are backed by science?
Contact delved into the fascinating world of memory with Professor Frederic Meunier from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) to debunk common myths surrounding this complex cognitive process, and find out what the science has to say about memory-boosting trends.
See how many of these tips you can remember!
Key points:
- Occasional forgetfulness is actually a sign of healthy cognition
- Healthy sleep is essential for a healthy memory
- The mineral selenium, commonly found in nuts, is known to be good for cognitive health
- QBI has recently confirmed that Lion’s Mane mushrooms can boost your memory
Q: What are some of the most common misconceptions you’ve encountered about how the human memory works?
A: There are plenty of misconceptions about how the brain works and the truth is that we don’t really know, although we are making enormous strides forward in our understanding.
To my mind, one of the great misconceptions is that forgetting is a sign of a weak memory. In truth, forgetting is an active process that is considered an actual form of memory, as the brain is capable to selectively forget non-essential information while retaining useful knowledge. The ability to forget is in fact critical, and there are forms of autism that are associated with an altered ability to forget.
Q: Can recreational drug and alcohol use damage your memory?
A: Various drugs and alcohol increase the risk of memory impairment, though this can of course vary from person to person. However, prolonged or excessive substance use will increase the likelihood of these issues.
Excessive alcohol consumption, for instance, can interfere with memory formation and retrieval. This is why, after a big night, some individuals cannot recall events that took place. Abuse of recreational narcotics can have very serious unwanted effects on memory, so best to stay away from them.
Q: What are the main things we should all be aware of when it comes to memory and ageing?
A: As we age, we tend to be frustrated with occasional memory loss – things like forgetting our keys, brain fog, and so on. It’s important to destigmatise these changes, as they are perfectly normal.
As the brain ages, our ability to form new memories is reduced. However, these changes are very mild compared to those experienced during the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Image: Adobe Stock / kreus
Image: Adobe Stock / kreus
Q: What role do diet, exercise and other environmental factors play in our memory and overall cognitive health?
A: Diet and exercise can have positive effects on the brain. Recent studies at QBI have shown that neurogenesis (our ability to make new neurons) in the brain is significantly increased with exercise and intake of the mineral selenium, which is found in many nuts. There are also plenty of studies stressing the beneficial effect of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins B.
Sleep is also critical to consolidate memories, and sleep deprivation can negatively impact cognitive abilities. Socialising and engaging in intellectually stimulating activities can help maintain cognitive function and improve memory.
Finally, environmental enrichment – which could include re-organising and decluttering living spaces, and adding objects/elements that encourage learning, creativity and relaxation – reduces stress, helping to not only maintain cognitive health but also delay the onset of some neurodegenerative diseases.
Q: Tell us about your team’s exciting recent discoveries on the memory-boosting effects of Lion’s Mane mushrooms!
A: The Lion's Mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) has been in the spotlight recently. Its fruiting body was used for centuries in traditional Asian medicine and was considered a rare delicacy, reserved for emperors and nobility for its health benefits. The QBI research team therefore reasoned that there was a high likelihood that some of this mushroom’s compounds could be neuroactive.
Excitingly, we found molecules that do indeed have strong neurotrophic activities and promote memory enhancement. This fungus synthetises specific chemicals such as hericene A and N-de phenylethyl isohericerin, which promote neurite outgrowth from brain cells and largely increase the levels of neurotrophins in the brain. These neurotrophins, called nerve growth factor (NGF) and Brain derived growth factor (BDNF), are critical for the growth, maintenance and survival of our nerve cells.
This is a significant finding as these molecules could form the basis for further work examining their mode of neurotropic action and exploring the range of diseases for which they could be beneficial, including Alzheimer’s disease.
To hear more about this extraordinary research, come to Professor Meunier’s free talk, ‘Can mushrooms improve your memory?’ at Back to UQ on Sunday, 6 August.
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