Best Herbs For Memory
Spice racks are a staple of all modern kitchens, and for good reason, as herbs and spices liven up your cooking while also bringing an exotic color to your meals. You may know that herbs are great for nutritional value, but did you know they are also a means of boosting your brainpower and maintaining your long-term cognitive health?
Certain herbs are doctor-recommended as a means of improving brain function and memory in the short term, and regular consumption of these herbs can even help combat Alzheimer’s later in life.
Here is a list of the best herbs for memory. Some of them you may recognize and already have in your home.
Sage
This is one of the most popular herbs ever. In fact, you probably already have a jar or two of sage already!
The medicinal qualities of sage have been mythologized just as much as they have been scientifically proven – in fact, it was one of the prevalent medicines prescribed by quack doctors during the plague.
However, recent scientific studies (particularly, this one that was conducted in 2017) have proven that the flavonoids found in sage reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia later in life.
In the short term, it has also been proven to improve neurological and cognitive functions.
Peppermint
Peppermint is better known for its ability to calm the brain, but recent scientific developments have determined that peppermint also works just as well at improving your short-term and long-term memory. It can also improve your attention span and ability to stay alert during discussions.
Gotu Kola
A favorite in holistic medicine practices, Gotu Kola has been a popular antidote to forgetfulness in Chinese and Indian cultures, which believe it improves clarity of thought. Gotu Kola is said to clear the pathway in the formation of long-term memory and to secure the most important details. As a bonus, Gotu Kola is also said to be a great stress reliever.
Rosemary
Rosemary is great as a culinary enhancer and even better as a brain enhancer. It has long been associated with brainpower, going all the way back to the ancient Greeks. As students, Greeks would wear a necklace of rosemary in the hope of improving their exam performance.
Rosemary tastes good with most meals, so it’ll be very easy for you to incorporate this herb into your daily intake. However, studies show that you don’t even need to consume rosemary to benefit from its brain benefits. According to Mariza Snyder, MD, even sniffing the essence of rosemary is enough to activate deeper memory functions.
Ashwagandha
Sometimes referred to as Indian ginseng, this highly potent herb particularly helps reduce stress, which then combats memory loss and Alzheimer’s. This herb is also said to activate alertness, combat anxiety, and accelerate brain processing functions, which allows for stronger memory power.
Furthermore, Ashwagandha has a plethora of other benefits that will help your overall brain function, including the reduction of depression and cortisol levels.
The best means of consuming Ashwagandha is as a powder mixed into hot water, along with sugar or honey for extra flavor.
Lemon Balm
Perhaps more commonly known for its ability in tea form to combat high anxiety levels, stress, and insomnia, lemon balm can also improve cognitive functions. By soothing the nervous system, lemon balm also improves general mood and outlook, which allows the brain to work on a higher level in regards to alertness and memory processing.
It helps the user tune in to complicated information and be able to process it much easier. Given how tasty it is as a tea, it should be no bother at all for you to achieve a regular lemon balm intake.
Ginseng
Famous the world over as a permanent fixture in herbal medicine, ginseng is a root that is packed full of anti-inflammatory chemicals and other nutrients that work to improve your overall physical endurance. That could be improving memory, energy levels, or thinking, which works to create a clearer thought process.
Ginseng has long been a favored medicine that is prescribed to patients already suffering from Alzheimer’s as a means of improving their difficulty to remember. This herb can also be taken as a means of avoiding Alzheimer’s and dementia later in life.
Ginseng can be consumed raw, but for a more pleasurable taste, we recommend steaming the herb.
Bacopa
A common ingredient in Ayurvedic medicine and sometimes referred to as moneywort, bacopa is widely recommended as a memory improver, as it acts as a nootropic drug. This is a drug that is prescribed specifically to improve the field of learning and other memory functions. While also acting as an antidepressant, bacopa has been specifically proven to improve the ability of an individual to remember new information.
It is particularly recommended to those who have difficulty focusing during long lectures or reading complicated texts, as it is said to improve attention span by tenfold.
The problem with bacopa is that it is extremely bitter in taste, and since it grows in dirty, damp soil, it can oftentimes become infected. Therefore, it is best consumed dried or as a capsule quickly swallowed with water.
Ginkgo Biloba
Commonly prescribed to dementia patients, Ginkgo Biloba has a long history as a traditional Chinese medicine and is said to help with memory by improving blood circulation to the brain. Although contemporary medicine does not consider Ginkgo Biloba to be as beneficial as the other herbs mentioned in this list, there is some scientific evidence to prove that it assists those with mild cognitive impairment, as well as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
It contains an extract called EGb761, which is said to be particularly beneficial in helping those with muddled memory or confusion. Ginkgo Biloba can be taken in tea form or as a tablet.
Conclusion
Hopefully, our list has given you a hankering to branch out and try to incorporate more than just the common household herbs into your diet. Take these herbs as we’ve recommended or get creative and find new ways to consume them, and see if you find yourself remembering things better.