Some people can hear something once and remember it for years, while others need a few reminders for the information to stick. A good memory has been linked to numerous factors, including having low levels of inflammation throughout the body and getting plenty of antioxidants. Now, un study reciente published in Brain magazine. add one more to the list: a good blood supply to your head.
German researchers recruited 47 people, ranging in age from 45 to 89, and used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine the blood supply to the hippocampus, a small area in the brain considered the "control center." of the memory. The participants were also analyzed in memory performance, attention span, and speech comprehension.
Twenty of the participants were found to have abnormalities in the blood vessels in their brains that affected the blood supply to the hippocampus. This group also scored lower on cognitive tests, leading the researchers to conclude that the delivery of blood and oxygen through the blood vessels could have a significant effect on memory function.
This study shows a clear link between blood supply to the hippocampus and cognitive performance. That is, cerebral blood flow could play a key role in the decline in memory performance caused by age or disease.
It is also believed that other lifestyle factors, such as the exercise, could influence the formation of blood vessels that supply the hippocampus, as well as the efficiency of how they transport blood to that area.
More research will be needed to confirm that possibility, but previous studies suggest that when exercise pumps blood, there is a part of it that ends in the brain, and that effect may be beneficial for improving cognitive function.
A small 2011 study of older women, found that brisk walking for 30 to 50 minutes three to four times a week improved blood flow to the brain by up to 15%. Those researchers noted that blood not only brings oxygen and other nutrients to the brain, but also removes metabolic waste such as beta amyloid protein, which has been implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Another study concluded that exercise can prevent or delay cognitive decline by improving the rate of brain atrophy and blood flow. No matter what mechanisms are at play, it's clear that increasing levels of physical activity benefits more than just muscles: it can also be an important brain booster.