Can you name the 50 state capitols? I could in 5th grade. Today is a different story, however. I'd probably remember about 35 of them or so. Just chalk it up to the arbitrary filing system of the human intellect. Being able (or not being able) to recall such facts clearly are indicative of this fact, but in some cases it could be due to a decline in our overall brain function.

To help remedy such a decline, nature has provided us with several brain-boosting foods, many of which are available at your local supermarket.

You would think that we, as a nation, would remember every fact and figure since the dawn of time, given the amount of coffee we consume. It's key nutrient, caffeine, can improve concentration and reaction time. Also, studies from the French National Institute of Medical Research of Montpelier (which is also the capitol of Vermont -- booyah) found that drinking caffeine daily may help aging adults better remember names and words.

Packed with protein, lentils make for a great, healthy meal. But, it's the folic acid they contain that may cause people to have better recall ability than those who are deficient in this B vitamin. And, similarly to caffeine, people who have high blood levels of this B vitamin may see less decline in their verbal skills as they age.

While eating them in pancakes is delicious, blueberries are far healthier when eaten as-is. Taste aside, eating these high-antioxidant berries in any fashion will help combat free radicals and inflammation of brain tissue, thereby helping to ensure that cognitive function remains strong.

I wonder if eating these foods will help me remember those other 15 state capitols. I tell you, it's always the Carolinas that get me. Raleigh ... and ... argh!! Forget it.

Source

People who suffer from chronic back pain also seem to suffer from memory problems. Very specific memory problems, actually: short-term prospective memory problems. Prospective memory is the memory of future intentions, like appointments and other things on your to-do list. Individuals with chronic pain had significantly higher "memory failure" rates than those who were pain-free.

Experts think it could be due to the well-known links between pain and stress, and stress and cognitive function. It could also be related to the steroid and pain-medication treatments that the majority of people with back pain undergo.

On a separate, but somewhat related and surprising note, memory may actually be enhanced by a different kind of pain: migraines.

Source

By now most people know that sleep is good for you, and that sleep deprivation is bad for you in more ways than one. Well a new study published online in Nature Neuroscience has found yet another negative side effect to add to the "not getting enough sleep" pile: sleep deprivation impairs your brain's ability to make new memories.

What's interesting is that I always thought the information was in there, but I just had trouble remembering it when I was tired. This study seems to show that if you're sleep deprived anything new you try to learn or remember really won't be there -- it doesn't get committed to memory. So no matter how much sleep you "catch up" on later, some memories from that sleepy day just won't exist.

Wow, this explains a lot.

Source