Excessive alcohol consumption can cause memory loss and cognitive impairments that persist into daily life. Thankfully, there are evidence-based strategies, from lifestyle adjustments to neuroplasticity exercises, aimed at rejuvenating brain functions and rebuilding memory capacity. Discover the proactive steps you can take toward brain health and enhanced recall after alcohol and memory loss.
Dementia is a global health concern. Approximately 50 million people have dementia, with around 10 million new cases yearly. Drinking large amounts of alcohol regularly can cause alcohol-induced dementia due to poor nutrition and ineffective intestinal absorption. One specific form of alcohol-induced dementia is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which happens when the brain is deficient in thiamine. Even occasional drinkers can experience alcohol-related memory loss. While most dementia cannot be cured, there are steps you can take to improve your memory function and potentially prevent the occasional night you can’t remember. Below, we’ll discuss seven ways to help you heal from alcohol and memory loss and suggest a premium supplement to help with this recovery.
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Heal Your Brain After Alcohol and Memory Loss: The 7 Most Powerful Ways to Reclaim Mental Clarity and Recover Cognitive Function is an original (SmartDrugs&Supplements) article.
Ways to fight alcohol and memory loss:
1. Eat thiamine-rich foods
Since alcohol-related dementia is linked with thiamine deficiency, increasing your consumption of thiamine can help you reduce the chances of developing this type of dementia. It has also been shown to reduce hangover symptoms. Getting thiamine-rich foods can help you avoid amyloid plaques forming between your nerve cells, which lead to cell death. These amyloid plaques are also linked to Alzheimer’s disease, which causes cognitive decline and memory loss. Thiamine-rich foods include wheat germ, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, pistachio nuts, pork, and many more.
Ways to fight alcohol and memory loss:
2. Brain exercises
When it comes to cognitive function, a use-it-or-lose-it mentality is critical. Brain exercises trigger cognitive functions such as memory and help prevent cognitive decline. Some examples of brain exercises include memory games, crossword puzzles, learning a new language, and taking up a new hobby. No matter how you exercise your brain, it can help stave off cognitive decline associated with memory loss.
Ways to fight alcohol and memory loss:
3. Listen to music
This tip is excellent news for music fans. According to a Harvard study, listening to music helps reactivate areas of the brain associated with memory, reasoning, speech, emotion, and reward. Music and Memory is an organization that assists nursing homes with music therapy for their residents. This therapy works because songs are often associated with specific memories in the brain, so playing familiar songs for nursing home residents can help them access memory function. Try making a playlist of songs you enjoyed in the past or songs involved with particular memories, such as your wedding, graduation, or songs played at your prom. This practice will help exercise your memory function and help with memory loss.
Ways to fight alcohol and memory loss:
4. Drink on a full stomach
Blacking out from alcohol happens when you drink enough alcohol to block the transference of memories from your short-term to long-term memory storage. Drinking on a full stomach, especially after eating fatty foods, can slow the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream and delay its delivery to your brain. Drinking on a full stomach can help prevent blackouts and nights you don’t remember by slowing the delivery of alcohol to your hippocampus.
Ways to fight alcohol and memory loss:
5. Reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption
It may go without saying, but abstaining from alcohol or reducing your alcohol intake can significantly reduce your chances of alcohol-induced memory loss. Having a high blood alcohol content level can damage your hippocampus, and for chronic drinkers, this damage can be permanent. If you are struggling with alcohol dependence, there are resources available to help you. There are even prescription medications available to help you quit drinking. Don’t suffer alone, and don’t wait until your memory loss is permanent. This resource can help you find a program near you.
Ways to fight alcohol and memory loss:
6. Exercise
This tip may seem slightly less straightforward than others, but physical exercise can help you fight memory loss because it increases blood flow to your brain. A recent Vanderbilt study connected slowed blood flow to impaired blood delivery to the memory-related portion of your brain. This study associated low cardiac function with reduced cognitive function, leading to memory loss and potentially dementia and Alzheimer’s. Regular exercise can reduce your chances of developing memory loss by keeping your heart active.
Ways to fight alcohol and memory loss:
7. Supplementation
There are a variety of supplements available that boost overall health. However, krill oil in particular contains two powerful ingredients that may help fight memory loss and cognitive decline- omega-3s and choline. Below, we’ll discuss how these powerhouse ingredients may help boost memory function and suggest a premium krill oil supplement to potentially help with alcohol-induced memory loss.
The role of omega-3s in memory function
Omega-3s are essential polyunsaturated fats essential for healthy brain function. DHA, or Docosahexaenoic acid, is an omega-3 comprising half of the neurons’ cell membranes. Your brain includes 60% fat content, and between 10- 20% of this fat content is DHA. Omega-3s help your brain cells function properly and supply your body with energy. They have also been shown to reduce your risk of developing dementia or cognitive decline. Supplementing with omega-3s increases memory and circulation in the brain.
The role of choline in memory function
Choline is an essential nutrient involved in many bodily functions. It’s produced in small amounts by the liver and found in foods like eggs, broccoli, beans, meat, and poultry. A recent study conducted by Arizona State University linked choline deficiency to changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s. About 90% of Americans do not get enough choline.
This powerful nutrient can pass through the blood-brain barrier and is needed to produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. This neurotransmitter helps with your working memory, allowing you to retain new information. It also helps your long-term memory code and organize information. Because choline is necessary to produce acetylcholine, it is also required for optimal memory function.
A premium supplement to help with alcohol and memory loss:
Kori Krill Oil Softgels
Kori Krill Oil Mind & Body Omega-3 contains a potent combination of choline and omega-3s, particularly DHA and EPA, with plant antioxidants, B12, and curcumin. Although traditional supplements like fish oil contain omega-3s, they are bound to triglycerides, which require additional processing in the body and can reduce the overall effects of omega-3s due to low absorption. However, krill oil is bound to phospholipids, which are present in cell membranes, maximizing omega-3 absorption and use in the body.
Kori Krill Oil is focused on purity, quality, and sustainability. They partner with a certified sustainable fishery to conserve the delicate ocean ecosystem in Antarctica while bringing you the purest possible krill oil. The Marine Stewardship Council has certified its sustainable practices to ensure that sourcing does not negatively impact the environment. To ensure the purity of their supplements, their krill oil is harvested directly after the krill is caught, preventing oxidation and ensuring freshness. After production, their supplement undergoes rigorous third-party testing to ensure the absence of contaminants.
Preventing memory loss starts with a holistic focus on health
While these tips are great for avoiding memory loss, a comprehensive approach to your overall health is essential. Eating a well-balanced diet, getting enough sleep, drinking water, and exercising daily are critical for maintaining brain health. Adding krill oil to a healthy regimen can maximize its overall benefits, protecting your brain from memory loss and cognitive decline. So, dive into the benefits of krill oil and submerse your brain in powerful nutrients that may increase your vitality and protect your memory.
Further reading
MedicalNewsToday: What is the hippocampus?
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Interrupted Memories: Alcohol-Induced Blackouts
MedicalNewsToday: Krill oil: Can it protect the brain from age-related degeneration?
Important Note: The information contained in this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as health or medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Before embarking on any diet, fitness regimen, or program of nutritional supplementation, it is advisable to consult your healthcare professional in order to determine its safety and probable efficacy in terms of your individual state of health.
Regarding Nutritional Supplements Or Other Non-Prescription Health Products: If any nutritional supplements or other non-prescription health products are mentioned in the foregoing article, any claims or statements made about them have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and such nutritional supplements or other health products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
