Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps fight off the effects of unhealthy aging due to environmental sources, such as air pollution or ultraviolet light from the sun, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), a division of the National Institutes of Health. This nutrient is also important for the immune and cardiovascular systems.

An international research team conducted a laboratory experiment on sleep-deprived rats made to run a maze. Results showed that even though sleep deprivation could impair both short and long-term memory, vitamin E protected the antioxidant mechanisms of the brain, thus supporting memory, as published in the January 1 issue of the journal Behavioural Brain Research.

Furthermore, this research helped identify parts of the brain that may serve as targets of vitamin E in supporting cognitive functions.

Dietary sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, according to the ODS. While this nutrient is available in both natural and synthetic forms, studies suggest that natural form, known as d-alpha-tocopherol, is more potent.

Researchers in Toronto conducted an experiment in which they took pictures of their subjects' brains using computed tomography, an imaging technique that uses x-rays to photograph cross-sections of the body, according to the Food and Drug Administration. While half of study subjects were bilingual, the other half only spoke one language.

Canada has adopted both French and English as its official languages.

The subjects all came from similar levels of education and had comparable cognitive skills, such as memory and organization, the researchers said. However, the results showed that individuals who were bilingual had healthier brains. The researchers speculate that because speaking more than one language requires people to constantly go between two forms of communication, their brains may have better networks, as published in the journal Cortex.

It remains unclear whether the timing of when one learns a new language in life affects these measurements, according to the researchers. Further studies will need to verify their current findings in a larger sample size, using a more advanced imaging technique.

Vitamin B12 helps the body manufacture genetic material and maintain the health of nerve and blood cells, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), a division of the National Institutes of Health. Dietary sources of vitamin B12 include beef liver, clams, fish, eggs, dairy and fortified cereals. However, some people, including older adults, have difficulty absorbing this nutrient from their food. Deficiencies can lead to fatigue, anemia and cognitive problems.

Researchers at the Rush University Medical Center enrolled 121 adults aged 65 or older into their study, and followed them for four and a half years. Subjects who had sufficient levels of vitamin B12 had higher scores on cognitive tests, as well as larger brain volumes.

Though it's too premature to start recommending high doses of vitamin B12 for older people, the new study, published in the Sept. 27 issue of Neurology, warrants further research, the scientists said.

For people aged 50 or older, fortified cereals and supplements may be the best sources for vitamin B12, according to the ODS.

The health benefits of smoking cessation are almost immediate. Former smokers can experience improvements in circulation and blood pressure, the NIH said. Researchers in the United Kingdom conducted an experiment that suggested giving up smoking may also restore memory capacity lost from tobacco use.

Participants in the study needed to complete several tasks at certain locations on a university campus. On average, smokers remembered less than 60 percent of their tasks, compared to people who never smoked, who remembered about 80 percent. Former smokers were able to perform 74 percent of their tasks, as reported in September's online issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence. The researchers now want to conduct a new experiment to see if secondhand smoke can affect the memory.

There are several natural methods of controlling the urge to smoke, according to government sources. These include filling all free time with an activity to keep busy, staying hydrated with water and fruit juice, visiting places and businesses where smoking isn't allowed and occupying the hands and mouth with objects such as pencils or carrot sticks, respectively.

The health benefits of smoking cessation are almost immediate. Former smokers can experience improvements in circulation and blood pressure, the NIH said. Researchers in the United Kingdom conducted an experiment that suggested giving up smoking may also restore memory capacity lost from tobacco use.

Participants in the study needed to complete several tasks at certain locations on a university campus. On average, smokers remembered less than 60 percent of their tasks, compared to people who never smoked, who remembered about 80 percent. Former smokers were able to perform 74 percent of their tasks, as reported in September's online issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence. The researchers now want to conduct a new experiment to see if secondhand smoke can affect the memory.

There are several natural methods of controlling the urge to smoke, according to government sources. These include filling all free time with an activity to keep busy, staying hydrated with water and fruit juice, visiting places and businesses where smoking isn't allowed and occupying the hands and mouth with objects such as pencils or carrot sticks, respectively.

The health benefits of smoking cessation are almost immediate. Former smokers can experience improvements in circulation and blood pressure, the NIH said. Researchers in the United Kingdom conducted an experiment that suggested giving up smoking may also restore memory capacity lost from tobacco use.

Participants in the study needed to complete several tasks at certain locations on a university campus. On average, smokers remembered less than 60 percent of their tasks, compared to people who never smoked, who remembered about 80 percent. Former smokers were able to perform 74 percent of their tasks, as reported in September's online issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence. The researchers now want to conduct a new experiment to see if secondhand smoke can affect the memory.

There are several natural methods of controlling the urge to smoke, according to government sources. These include filling all free time with an activity to keep busy, staying hydrated with water and fruit juice, visiting places and businesses where smoking isn't allowed and occupying the hands and mouth with objects such as pencils or carrot sticks, respectively.

The health benefits of smoking cessation are almost immediate. Former smokers can experience improvements in circulation and blood pressure, the NIH said. Researchers in the United Kingdom conducted an experiment that suggested giving up smoking may also restore memory capacity lost from tobacco use.

Participants in the study needed to complete several tasks at certain locations on a university campus. On average, smokers remembered less than 60 percent of their tasks, compared to people who never smoked, who remembered about 80 percent. Former smokers were able to perform 74 percent of their tasks, as reported in September's online issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence. The researchers now want to conduct a new experiment to see if secondhand smoke can affect the memory.

There are several natural methods of controlling the urge to smoke, according to government sources. These include filling all free time with an activity to keep busy, staying hydrated with water and fruit juice, visiting places and businesses where smoking isn't allowed and occupying the hands and mouth with objects such as pencils or carrot sticks, respectively.

The amino acid homocysteine can increase in those who have insufficient levels of the vitamin-B complex, which includes B6, B12 and folic acid. Abnormally high levels of homocysteine have been connected to negative effects on the health of the skeletal, cardiovascular and neurological systems, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Previous research has shown that up to 15 percent of people older than 60 years have deficiencies in vitamins such as B12 because their digestive systems have difficulty absorbing it from food. This can lead to high levels of homocysteine for this age group. Researchers at the University of Oxford wanted to see what vitamin-B supplements would do for the neurological health of older subjects, and the results were published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

For their experiment, the scientists gave 133 participants, aged 70 or older, supplements with vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid, and compared them to controls who received placebos. After two years, the group receiving supplements performed better in tests for memory and cognitive function.

Pending further investigations, people should not rush out and overdose on supplements, or risk disrupting their nutrient balance, the researchers said in The Guardian. 

Scientists at the Mayo Clinic reviewed more than 1,600 studies related to physical activity and cognition, said neurologist J. Eric Ahlskog, M.D., Ph.D. This past research included brain images showing the positive effects of exercise, and experiments demonstrating that animals that exercise produce chemicals that support brain function. Ahlskog concluded that anyone who wishes to maintain their neurological health should consider adding aerobic exercise to their regimen, and reported the results in the September issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Further research is needed to support the researchers’ theory.

Activities that get the blood pumping include walking, jogging, dancing, bicycling and swimming, or sports such as basketball and tennis. Exercises to strengthen the muscles or bones may be aerobic, too, as long as they increase the heart rate, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Everyday activities that don’t involve exercise, such as pushing a grocery cart or heavy-duty gardening, can also have the same effects.

“Whether addressing our patients in primary care or neurology clinics, we should continue to encourage exercise for not only general health, but also cognitive health,” Ahlskog said. 

In explaining their work, the Loyola medical scientists asserted that they did not intend to promote heavy drinking, which did not have quantifiable benefits, or regular drinking among those who previously avoided alcohol. Study author Edward J. Neafsey, Ph.D claimed he and his colleagues focused solely on moderate drinking – two, at maximum, a day for men and one daily for women.

"We don't recommend that nondrinkers start drinking," he said. "But moderate drinking – if it is truly moderate – can be beneficial."

Results of the Chicago study, which were first published in the medical publication Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, established that moderate drinkers increased their chances of maintaining optimal brain health, memory and cognition by 23 percent. Findings consisted of data culled from 365,000 different participants in numerous previous studies from 1977 onward.

Other foods potentially beneficial to brain health may include spices like curry and turmeric, fruits such as blueberries or strawberries and leafy green vegetables, according to the National Institute of Health.