Memory Loss
Natural Remedies

Memory Loss - Editor's Choice

| Modified on Mar 11, 2025
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Memory loss, commonly associated with the elderly, can affect a person of any age. However, there are natural remedies that are effective to reverse memory loss and prevent it in the first place, such as the spice turmeric and coconut oil.

What Causes Memory Loss?

Most people are aware of memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. While these conditions usually affect the elderly, they sometimes affect the middle aged as well.

  • Memory loss can also be caused by an acute illness or injury.
  • Nutritional deficiencies can cause memory loss.  
  • Memory loss is not an uncommon symptom of menopause.
  • Individuals with hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, and Lyme disease may also experience memory loss as a side effect of their condition.

Drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter can cause memory loss. Many medications affect your acetylcholine levels, which can cause memory loss and related disorders. (Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in the brain.)

  • Certain prescription drugs can cause memory loss. Anti-anxiety medications, anti-depressants, beta blockers, medications for insomnia and cholesterol lowering medications have all been implicated in memory loss.
  • Over the counter drugs have been linked to memory loss. Sleep aids, antihistamines, medications for acid reflux and even motion sickness medications can cause memory loss.

Drug and alchol abuse can cause memory loss.

The good news is that memory loss can be reversed in many cases.

Natural Remedies to Reverse and Prevent Memory Loss

Supplements 

Herbs

Cayenne pepper is a stimulating herb. Cayenne especially helps blood flow and will increase the amount of oxygen getting to the brain.  It also contains vitamin C, another important brain nutrient.

Turmeric helps with a multitude of health problems and is good for your brain as well.

Ginko Biloba, gotu kola, ashwaghanda, eluethero and rhodiola have positive effects on the brain. These herbs are classified as adaptogenic herbs. They help the body adapt to stress and support the immune system. Adaptogenic herbs should not be used continuously, however.

Green tea contains anti-oxidants and is thought to improve brain function.

Dietary Changes

Nourishing foods will nourish your body, your cells, and your brain. Reducing sugar, white flour and processed foods and increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your diet will give your body more nutrients to work with.

Low fat diets are not good for your brain. Your brain needs nourishing fats. It is made of about 60% fat. Nourishing fats include coconut oil, olive oil and butter. Your brain also needs cholesterol. Eggs, dairy products and meat contain cholesterol.

Using coconut oil in your diet on a regular basis may be the single most important change you make. This oil is proving to be helpful in reversing memory loss in dementia patients.

Physical Exercise

Physical exercise is good for your health in many ways, including brain health. Exercise gets your blood circulating. It gets more oxygen to your cells. It reduces stress. You know it is good for you but sometimes it is hard to get motivated. Instead of taking up marathon running, try to take a 5 minute walk a couple of times day. Start small and increase what you do.

Mental Exercise

The more technology we have, the less we depend upon our brains. Smartphones, computers, televisions, etc not only make us use our brains less, oftentimes our screen time is not really engaging our brains. A movie or video game to unwind is one thing but hours upon hours of passive viewing leaves your brain inactive for long periods of time. Use it or lose it applies to the brain, too!

Just like physical exercise, mental exercise is work. Sometimes our brains rebel. But there are plenty of ways to give your brain a work out. Find some ways that your enjoy. Crossword puzzles and adult coloring books can be relaxing and giving your brain some exercise.

Make an effort to memorize things.

  • Memorize some poetry you like.
  • Memorize songs with your children or grandchildren.
  • Make a game of memorizing phone numbers instead of letting your smart phone do all the work.

Medication Evaluation

Find out if memory loss is a side effect of the medications you are taking. Discuss alternatives to any medications you are concerned about with your doctor.

Do you have a natural remedy for memory loss? We would love to hear your story! Continue reading to learn some amazing remedies that have helped our readers!

Other pages of interest:

Natural Remedies for Alzheimer's and Dementia
The Importance of Exercise for the Elderly


The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.

Statin Medication Link to Memory Loss

Posted by Marcee (California) on 05/05/2021
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

My dad recently got lost on his home street he has lived on for 60 years. Turns out his doctor raised his statin prescription and when the statins were reduced his memory came back. There are other medications with memory side effects. Just want people to consider this. We had no idea and dad suffered for several weeks.


Statin Medication Link to Memory Loss
Posted by Art (California) on 05/05/2021 2532 posts

Editor's Choice

Hi Marcee,

Statins are known to cause fairly rapid memory issues, but the experience doesn't stop there as statins are also noted for causing muscle pain and muscle damage, and in some cases, it can be severe and non-reversible as discussed here:

https://www.myositis.org/blog/statins-cause-myositis/

Statins are also noted for causing tendon damage as outlined here:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-53238-7

Sadly, many patients never draw the connection between statins and the damage they can potentially cause.

On the other hand, soy lecithin is noted for significantly lowering cholesterol and triglycerides while raising HDL cholesterol as described here:

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/cholesterol/2010/824813/

Lecithin is not noted for causing memory problems, muscle damage, and muscle pain or tendon ruptures.

Art


Turmeric in Coconut Oil

Posted by Cafelo (Quebec) on 06/04/2016
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

A few weeks ago I experienced a sharp burning sensation in my stomach and thought it could be ulcers and took some natural remedies that remedied the situation in just a few days. However, a friend said that it could be problems with the gallbladder and liver. I looked up remedies here in Earth Clinic and found Turmeric was recommended and it happens to be an ingredient I had been thinking for a while of taking because of its many benefits for the health. I have been taking for the last ten days first thing in the morning:

1 teaspoon of ground organic turmeric, mixed with 1 tablespoon of Virgin Coconut Oil and a dash of grounded pepper (because it is reported that it enhances by 20% or more the properties of turmeric).

As far as feeling any relief of ulcers or gallbladder related, there were none (as I said, I had already taken other natural remedies for the ulcers and found relief but the symptoms for gallbladder did not match my ailment). But in just one week, my sinuses cleared completely (a problem I have had for over 10 years, sneezing, blowing my nose first thing in the morning and 3 or 4 times during the rest of the day). Then I noticed an improvement in my mood, feeling motivated, energized, a general feeling of wellbeing and feeling positive, no anxiety at all.

But here is the amazing thing that happened.

I am 66 years old and have been noticing for the last 6 or so years a problem with my memory. I cannot remember names, hard as I try to memorize them, to give a silly example; I see a movie, look up the name of the actors but 10 mins after I cannot remember the names. I enjoy reading, but it's hard for me to remember name of books and authors, etc. Well, a week (only! ) after taking turmeric (the mixture detailed above), I was watching a movie and looked up the names of some of the actors. Then I went back to the movie, and as I saw them I said to myself, this is so and so, and this other guy is so and so… and I was bewildered. I said to myself, this is not right, I don't remember names. But I did! So I tried a little exercise I have been struggling with these past 6 years (to test and improve my memory): the phonetic alphabet: A is for Alfa, B is for Bravo, C is for Charile, D is for Delta, etc. I have never managed these last years to memorize it, best I've done is 15 out of 28, after a day spent trying. So I looked it up, read diligently (memorized) for a minute, then went back to my movie. Then, an hour later, took a pencil and paper and wrote the phonetic alphabet. Results? 28 out of 28! And 10 days later I can remember it as well as the name of the actors and other stuff I've been learning since then.

This was a week ago. Naturally I am still taking the turmeric mixture (I will do so for the rest of my life! ). I can now memorize names, news, events, etc. etc. Lost memories have come back, my vocabulary is enriched (the words were there, stored in my brain, but I could not find them…)

Do a search on the Internet on the benefits of turmeric, it's a long list, but most importantly, it's good for memory loss and Alzheimer's. Studies have shown that the incidence of Alzheimer's is very low in India because the eat curry all the time, a main ingredient is turmeric. Read about the brain-blood barrier; turmeric is one of the few substances that penetrate the brain.

I am telling this story in the hopes of helping people with memory problems but mostly to give back to Earth Clinic that has been a life-saver to me for many years now.

Feel free to ask questions, I will be following my posting for a month or two every few days to answer questions.

Cheers, Connie



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