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Host: What about nutritional deficiencies besides B vitamins — thyroid, iron?
Dr. Stengler: Good point. Low iron or low iron stores should be screened for in cases of memory problems. Iron works with memory because it carries oxygen to the cells, including the brain cells — so that's important. But the opposite can also be true: if your iron levels are too high, that's a problem as well. About 5 percent of Americans have a genetic condition where they accumulate excess iron in the body, and that damages the brain and leads to memory problems. So iron balance is very important.
The other big one — and there have been studies showing it impacts memory — is vitamin D. Vitamin D seems to be involved in everything, but studies have shown that if you're low in vitamin D it can affect your memory. And about 75 percent of Americans are on the lower end of their vitamin D levels. So it's a very critical one — not just for memory, but also because it reduces inflammation. With chronic diseases, including brain conditions, if you have chronic inflammation in the brain you're going to have cognitive problems and memory problems. So vitamin D is one of the natural tools you can use to reduce inflammation in the brain.
What causes memory loss? Many, many things can affect the memory, but to highlight two common culprits: we see a lot of memory problems coming from low iron and low vitamin D levels. This quick video gives a brief rundown of these issues and what you can do about it. Iron brings oxygen to the cells of the brain; if your iron levels are low, you may not be getting enough oxygen to the brain, which can reduce memory efficiency. (But the opposite of that can also be a problem -- about five percent of Americans have a genetic condition where they accumulate more iron than normal in their bodies, and this can lead to memory problems as well.)Another nutrient that helps memory is vitamin D. Chronic inflammation of the brain leads to cognitive problems, and vitamin D is one of the best natural things you can do to reduce inflammation.
If you or someone you know is suffering from memory problems, give the Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine a call to set an appointment to get iron and vitamin D levels tested!
