Dr. JJ’s Naturopathic Supplements For Memory Loss

If you’ve started noticing you’re having difficulty remembering things, it may be an indication of an underlying issue, either medical or lifestyle in origin.

However, if you seek out a naturopathic doctor in Toronto such as myself, they can help you to narrow down the root cause and suggest treatments to improve and even reverse the memory loss.

What Is Memory Loss?

Memory loss can be caused by all kinds of things, such as traumatic events, medications, as well as by conditions such as schizophrenia, dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, a brain tumor, concussions or other such examples.

Having said that, many people simply need to take a little better care of themselves by increasing the amount of sleep they get, by learning to better handle stress, and definitely by improving their diet and nutritional intake.

Dr. JJ’s Top Supplements For Memory Loss & Cognitive Enhancement

Listed below are my favourite supplements for handling memory and cognitive issues, each of which I’ve taken myself at various points in my life (for instance, when I was writing my board exams, I gave my memory a boost with one of these).

If your memory loss is due to another disorder, book an appointment and let’s discuss your symptoms and options.

1. Omega-3 Fish Oil

People have long connected fish with braininess, and it turns out they’re not wrong – so feel free to get yourself some salmon or a bottle of fish oil to help you out if you feel you’re not remembering as well as you used to.

A recent study “suggests that omega-3 and omega-6 / omega-3 ratio could be important biomarkers in the prevention of cognitive impairment.”

Another exciting study linked Omega 3 to improving how B vitamins improve mild cognitive impairment.

2. Ginkgo Biloba

Chinese grandmas have been recommending this for centuries, but we’ve finally caught on that they’re onto a good thing, and now it’s even being proven by science.

In studying cognitive impairment and dementia, ginkgo has been shown to stabilize or slow the decline, especially with patients who suffer from neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Another study looked at the mechanisms associated with how ginkgo biloba can improve your cognitive performance.

What this study found is that ginkgo seems to leverage cardiovascular reactivity to accomplish certain forms of cognitive improvement, but only in females, interestingly enough.

3. Phosphatidylserine

Often referred to as simply “PS” because of its very long name, phosphatidylserinehas been of great interest in the medical community, and there is quite a bit of evidence that documents how it affects cognitive activity and aging as well as retention of one’s cognitive functioning ability.

A recent study reviewed some of these and further establishes it as a brain booster by providing a necessary component for healthy nerve cell membranes and myelin.

4. Bacopa

Bacopa monnieri is one of my favourites, and it has a long history in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for neurological and behavioural defects.

Although more studies are required, some have shown it to be helpful for speed of attention as well as having the potential to improve overall cognition.

5. Acetyl-L-Carnitine

Mood disorders can affect memory – as can the very pharmaceuticals that treat those mood disorders – making it a difficult choice for a lot of patients.

Acetyl-L-carnitine and alpha-lipoic acid have been shown to be helpful for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and metabolic properties.

In controlled trials involving a clinically depressed, aging demographic, it shows neurotherapeutic effects and antidepressant effects, although these are only preliminary results.

6. Gotu Kola

Gotu kola, also known as Centellaasiatica, is another plant from Chinese traditional medicine that shows promise in helping memory issues.

The data from a study using live, healthy mice shows
a cognitive-enhancing effect.

Questions? Ask Dr. JJ

A lot of these supplements have long, exotic names, and I would be surprised if you’ve heard of all of them, however I’ve been using them throughout the history of my practice and I’ve seen some incredible results in my patients.

If you have questions about using these safely, or you want to see better results than what you’ve already accomplished, call me to book your assessment, and I’ll be sure to set you up with the ones that are right for you and your symptoms.