Memory and Food
Muhammad Usman Naeem, Abdul Ghani MD
Who we are is defined by the memory we have of each other. Memories have been a vital key to
human success. Important books, historical events, maps, and trade routes were transmitted from
generation to generation through memorization. Without our memories, we won’t be able to
brush our hair, drive to our jobs, or recognize our parents. Memory is vital and preserving them
to recall at the right time and place is even more essential. Unfortunately, we live in a society
where high-sugar and high-fat foods are often the first choice for many people. The
consequences of an unhealthy diet are significant, and, thanks to resources like Google and
advancements in AI, a growing number of individuals are becoming aware of these implications.
While most people understand that food impacts the heart or kidneys, many are unaware that it
also affects brain functions, including memory. In this chapter, I will discuss how our food
choices influence memory.
How are memories stored in the Brain?
The ancient mechanism of memory storage was derived from the work of Karl Lashley a famous psychologist, who worked on rats to locate what part of the brain is the memory located, which he called an “engram” [1]. Although Karl failed to identify the location of memory in the brain, he concluded that the brain possesses equipotentiality. He explained that any part of the brain could take over the function of any other, and memories could be stored anywhere and everywhere. Today we know that memory is stored in the neocortex and the hippocampus serves as the gateway that directs memories into particular regions of the neocortex for long-term memory, allowing them to be retrieved by the hippocampus when necessary [2]. Think of it like a bank teller: when you hand your money to the teller, he processes your deposit and places it securely in the bank vault. The teller doesn’t keep your money; the teller simply facilitates the transaction and ensures it is stored safely in the vault. Here, the teller represents the hippocampus, while the vault symbolizes the neocortex.
The left temporal lobe is responsible for storing the names of certain categories, like toys or
friends. These types of memories are called declarative, which refers to memories of facts
(semantic memory) and events (episodic memory). However, the right temporal lobe provides us with the ability to recognize faces. Trauma or tumor of the right temporal lobe causes
prosopagnosia.
Dementia
Dementia comes in different forms. For example, Frontotemporal dementia which causes memory loss, Vascular dementia which occurs due to blockages in blood vessels that stop blood from feeding brain tissue, and Alzheimer’s disease which is caused by buildups of amyloid plaques disrupting nerve-cell function. We don’t fully understand the mechanism of dementia which makes it even harder to treat it but taking preventive precautions at an early age will lower the risk of the disease progression or at least delay it. Dementia at 60 years old is a different disease compared to dementia at 90 years old. Recent studies have shown that food choices can help us preserve our memories and clear brain fog.Gut and Memory
Many people don’t believe there is a correlation between the gut and memory, specifically regarding the food we eat. However, recent studies have shown on several different occasions that there is a strong co-relationship between gut and memory. The connection between the gut and memory lies in the chemicals that make the body function and the brain, which are regulated by the gut. For example, Cortisol, a stress hormone prevents memory recall, and the gut bacteria regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis which affects the cortisol level in the blood [3,4]. This means that any imbalance of gut bacteria can result in an increase in cortisol levels, which can negatively affect memory recall.Memory is also affected by levels of other neurochemicals, such as Serotonin, Dopamine, and Noradrenaline [5]. For example, Noradrenaline enhances memory, especially during emotional episodes. We also know that Serotonin-dopamine imbalance leads to memory and learning impairment. All of these neurochemicals rely on gut bacteria to create the essential precursors needed to maintain them at healthy levels.
Recent studies have also predicted that gut bacteria trigger brain inflammation and metabolic processes that impact memory by reducing blood flow in the brain [6]. Moreover, an imbalance of gut bacteria may also increase amyloid deposits, which contributes to Alzheimer’s disease [7].
A diet high in fat and sugar imbalances the gut bacteria by shifting towards less beneficial
bacteria and potentially causing metabolic issues and inflammation also known as “gut
dysbiosis”. With all the evidence we have it won’t be wrong to say that the food we eat affects
the composition of the gut bacteria which affects the regulation of neurochemicals which then
affects our memory. It is like a chain reaction, but it is very crucial as our memory is what
defines us on a professional and personal level. A physician without the ability to recall his
medical knowledge is no good for the patient.
The American Diet
The American diet contains high amounts of fat, sugar, and carbohydrates and low amounts of micronutrients, fiber, and protein. Food with high carbohydrates like those in the American Diet can alter brain pathways necessary for memory and cognition, with neurons in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex especially affected. As mentioned earlier, the hippocampus aids in forming relational memories. Interestingly, the size of the hippocampus can change as you engage in memorizing [8]. For example, the hippocampus is bigger in a bilingual translator, who has to memorize different languages. However, if we consume diets high in sugar and fat it damages the hippocampus, by shrinking [9]. Moreover, the hippocampus also plays an essential role in regulating how much food we eat. Damage to the hippocampus makes calorie restriction hard and promotes overeating.Panacea
Foods to Avoid:
- High carbs, which include white rice, potatoes, white bread, pasta, and refined flour.
- Foods high in saturated and trans fats (red meat, cookies, and red meat).
Foods and Habits to Embrace:
- Eat yogurt as it contains probiotics which may offer possible therapeutic or preventive options for Alzheimer’s.
- Alcohol: Restrict alcohol. Most people don’t fully comprehend the effects of alcohol on the brain. Alcohol has cumulative effects, leading to loss of judgment and memory.
- Calorie restriction: Before the agricultural revolution, our ancestors lived on a limited diet as hunters, primarily hunting small animals. Their bodies adapted to store food whenever it was available. However, we now have access to plenty of food, but our genes are still adapted to the food and lifestyle from over 1,200 years ago. Our bodies tend to store more food even though we have plenty of food available. We need to restrict our calorie intake. A healthy range of daily calorie intake for men ranges from 2,000 to 3,200 calories and for adult women is between 1,800 and 2,400 calories. Each individual needs to calculate their own calorie needs, as this depends on various factors, including body mass index (BMI).
- Olive oil: Olive oil is anti-inflammatory as it contains omega 3.
- Turmeric contains curcumin which may improve memory and cognition. Curcumin is also antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
- Other Herbs and spices: Ginger, black pepper, and cinnamon.
Citation list
- Schwartz, T. H. (2024). Gray matters: A biography of brain surgery. Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
- Squire, L. R., Genzel, L., Wixted, J. T., & Morris, R. G. (2015). Memory consolidation. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, 7(8). https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a021766
- Herman, J. P., McKlveen, J. M., Ghosal, S., Kopp, B., Wulsin, A., Makinson, R., Scheimann, J., & Myers, B. (2016). Regulation of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenocortical stress response. Comprehensive Physiology, 603–621. https://doi.org/10.1002/cphy.c150015
- Jiang, A., Tran, T. T., Madison, F. N., & Bakker, A. (2019). Acute stress-induced cortisol elevation during memory consolidation enhances pattern separation. Learning & Memory, 26(4), 121–127. https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.048546.118
- GONZALEZBURGOS, I., & FERIAVELASCO, A. (2008). Serotonin/dopamine interaction in memory formation. Progress in Brain Research, 603–623. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0079-6123(08)00928-x
- Chaudhry, T. S., Senapati, S. G., Gadam, S., Mannam, H. P., Voruganti, H. V., Abbasi, Z., Abhinav, T., Challa, A. B., Pallipamu, N., Bheemisetty, N., & Arunachalam, S. P. (2023). The impact of microbiota on the gut–brain axis: Examining the complex interplay and implications. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(16), 5231. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12165231
- Zhang, Y., Geng, R., & Tu, Q. (2021). Gut microbial involvement in alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis. Aging, 13(9), 13359–13371. https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.202994
- Maguire, E. A., Gadian, D. G., Johnsrude, I. S., Good, C. D., Ashburner, J., Frackowiak, R. S., & Frith, C. D. (2000b). Navigation- related structural change in the hippocampi of taxi drivers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 97(8), 4398–4403. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.070039597
- Atak, S., Boye, A., Peciña, S., & Liu, Z.-X. (2023b). High-fat-sugar diet is associated with impaired hippocampus-dependent memory in humans. Physiology & Behavior, 268, 114225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114225
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