Page 167 - The Memory Program How to Prevent Memory Loss and Enhance Memory Power

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Choosing Antioxidants to Prevent Memory Loss

The brain needs the same nutrients and vitamins as the rest of the body; it just needs a lot more of
them. There is evidence supporting the use of antioxidants like vitamin E, and to a lesser extent
vitamins A and C. One or more of these essential vitamins is a must in any program to prevent
memory loss. One note of caution: these antioxidants are true long-term prevention agents and not
quick-fix therapies. You will not see any immediate effects on your memory, and may not observe
any change for several months. However, over a period of several years, there is a good chance that
your memory will have declined less than that of your aging peers who have not chosen the
antioxidant path. In any case, given that these are naturally occurring vitamins and related substances
with hardly any side effects, and most are easy to obtain and not very expensive, what is the harm in
taking them on a regular basis?

I am perfectly happy with my own regimen of lots of orange and grapefruit juice, which give me
plenty of vitamin C, and a daily 800 IU capsule of vitamin E. Vitamin A reaches me as part of a
multivitamin tablet, so I currently do not add specific beta-carotene or vitamin A supplementation.
Right now, my memory is fine, but if for some reason I begin to develop any signs of memory loss, I
may add vitamin A with or without beta-carotene. Similarly, I am holding off on using selegiline.
But if you have already begun to experience mild memory loss, and you don't have an identifiable
reversible cause, you could consider checking with your doctor about prescribing selegiline, in
addition to taking vitamin E 800 to 1,200 IUs daily, with vitamin A or C as added options.