Can Alcohol Really Improve Memory? 6 Better Ways to Keep it Sharp Naturally

Our brain acts like a powerful machine which controls most of our functions from what we think and how we react. You should also know that what we eat is related to how we feel. The brain uses a lot of the nutrients derived from food like glucose and fats to feed the neurons (brain cells), carry out simple daily tasks, handle stress and maintain your memory. In a recent study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom claim that drinking alcohol just after learning something new may help better retain the information in our memory.

The team examined 88 social drinkers who were divided into two groups. One group was asked to drink as much as they like and the other was restricted from drinking at all. The next day, they were given a word learning task and it was seen that those who had alcohol remembered more of what they had learned. However, the researchers do acknowledge that the causes of this effect are not fully understood. They reason that alcohol may not directly be involved in improving your memory and instead claim that "it blocks the learning of new information and therefore, the brain has more resources available to lay down other recently learned information into long-term memory" keeping into consideration the well-established negative effects of drinking excessive alcohol on memory and mental and physical health.

While it is not the best advice that you should follow, given the known side effects of drinking alcohol on your health, here are some healthy foods that can helps your improve your memory naturally. 

1. Avocados

Avocados contain one of the healthiest types of fats known as the monounsaturated fats. Our brain is made up of at least 60% of fat and low levels of fats in the body have been linked with memory-related ailments like Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Avocados also contain Vitamin K and folate that help improve cognitive functions like concentration and memory. You need to choose healthy fats like those found in nuts, seeds, coconut and of course, avocados. 

2. Beetroot

Beetroots contain natural nitrates that help in improving the blood flow towards every part of the body including the brain and thus, enhancing mental performance. 

3. Egg yolks

Contrary to what you think, eggs yolks are actually quite healthy. They contain large amounts of choline that makes them one of the best brain foods and helps improve your memory. 

4. Turmeric

Turmeric, the wonder spice, provides a dose of antioxidants to your body and also helps in improving your brain's oxygen intake and thus, keeping you alert to able to process and retain information. 

5. Nuts and seeds

Walnuts and sunflower seeds are considered to be great for your brain and can help in keeping your memory sharp. They are rich in Vitamin E which is known to be effective in preventing memory loss. 

6. Berries

Berries like blueberries, strawberries and acai berries are known to help in delaying age-related memory loss by maintaining the brain;s natural mechanism which flushes out all the toxins time to time. 

With inputs from PTI