Brain Savers

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Dramatic proof was found by Dr. James Joseph at Tufts University's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, in a study of 40 elderly rats with dementia. Thirty of the rats were fed high-antioxidant extracts from blueberries, strawberries or spinach. All showed improvement in working memory compared with the 10 rats that were not fed supplements. So it makes sense to load up on antioxidants (which are also found in prunes, plums, raisins, cranberries, raspberries, Brussels sprouts and broccoli) as well as beta-carotene (in carrots and cantaloupes) and vitamins A and C.

You should not overlook folic acid (found in meat and leafy green vegetables such as spinach) or vitamins B6 and B12. They reduce high levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which is believed to contribute to Alzheimer's. "It makes sense to have a diet that's rich in folic acid, fresh fruits, legumes and vegetables," says UCLA's Small. "And it can't hurt to take a multivitamin, which has 0.4 milligrams of folic acid and some B6 and B12."

While you're at it, add some fish to your menu too. The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenic acid, or DHA, which comes from fish oil, has been shown to improve memory in Alzheimer's patients and is, like other antioxidants, believed to protect against the ravages of oxidation.

What all these new findings come down to, suggests Dr. Molly Wagster, program director of neuropsychology of aging research at the National Institute on Aging, is some of the oldest and simplest truths we've known from childhood. If your short-term memory is failing you now, she says, "try to remember your parents telling you to read a book, eat your fruits and vegetables, go outside and play, and get a good night's sleep."