You lose your train of thought in the middle of a sentence. You can’t remember where you left your car keys, or where you parked your car at the mall. You forget names of old friends. You just don’t feel as sharp as you used to. It can be frustrating, and it can be frightening.

But there may be a real reason you may not feel as sharp and clear as you used to.

• Your brains size starts to shrink. As early as age 30, the connections between our brain cells, called neurons, start to disappear and the brain literally shrinks in size.



• Your neurotransmitter levels start to decline. Chemical messengers of the brain decline as you age. One of the most critically affected is acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter involved in learning and storing new information.



• Your memory hormone levels drop. After age 25, production of the memory hormone that helps combat mental fatigue and boost energy — pregnenolone — begins to drop.



• Your brain gets less fuel. Circulation becomes less efficient as we age, so less fuel — oxygen and glucose — is delivered to the brain.

However, if memory concerns are affecting your quality of life, or if you’re just worried about keeping your thinking sharp, there are plenty of things you can do about it.

Diet

Good nutrition promotes brain health and the optimal diet is one that emphasizes plant foods in as close to their natural state as possible. Plant foods are rich sources of antioxidant vitamins and minerals that counteract oxidation.
More diet recommendations.

Exercise

I bet you didn't know physical exercise actually improves your memory. In fact, regular physical exercise combined with “brain workouts” can help keep you sharp.

More exercise recommendations.

Nutrients

You can do something to help get back your mental edge — no matter what your age. The key is to replace the brain boosting nutrients and memory hormones that naturally decline as we get older.

Top nutrient recommendations.