Memory: What it is and How to Enhance it

Including 12 Supplements to Improve Memory

This article serves as a follow up to my last one covering neuroplasticity and what can be done to increase it. Its primary focus was on the cellular processes that underlie plasticity in the brain, with some brief info about supplements thrown in at the end. Here, I’d like to zoom in a bit and focus on a process that occurs as a result of neuroplasticity—memory—while also providing a more in depth look at supplements that can be used to enhance it. 

This was originally planned as a brief follow up, but has since turned into a full fledged 3000+ word post. So, hopefully by the end you’ll be left with not only a list of 12 memory and cognition enhancing supplements/nootropics, but also an understanding of how exactly they work to support memory.

That last part is something I’d like to emphasize, “understanding”. Instead of just having a list of supplements that do x, y, or z, try to acknowledge the biology behind a mechanism of action. Then, you not only understand why some compounds have a certain effect, but can extrapolate further to think “what other compounds would synergize with this” or theorize the effect of a supplement you’re researching based on its mechanism and so on.

However, I know that not everyone wants to think about these topics that deeply and just wants a list of supplements. If that’s you, feel free to skip to the end and check out the list. Otherwise, I think you’ll find it interesting to understand the biological basis for memory, as well as learning about some over the counter supplements that can be used to enhance it.

With that out of the way, let’s get into it…

What is memory?

Memory is the ability to retain information and recall it at a later time, a phenomenon largely reliant upon physical changes in the brain.