We have two types of memory: Short-term and long-term memory. Short-term is our worker bee or Working memory. When you turn on your iphone or a computer the hardware memory called “RAM” contains software to boot up the device. Similarly, the short term memory provides the same function in our brain.
Just above our eyebrows is the area of the brain where information is stored temporarily for up to 30 seconds unless it is saved into the long-term memory area. Without short-term memory you would not be able to save anything into long-term memory.
This was portrayed in the movie 50 first dates where Adam Sandler had to get Drew Barrymore fall in love with him again every day since she had lost her short-term memory in a car accident.
While short-term memory helps you remember the name of a new acquaintance, it also used to make decisions, solve everyday problems and interact with other people.
So, how do you work on improving this working memory area? Well David Tomen’s article on “Best Nootropics for Learning and Memory” discusses a group of “natural nootropic supplements” that when stacked can improve such memory challenges and they are:
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- CDP-Choline – 300 mg twice per day – CDP-Choline (Citicoline) a precursor to the synthesis of acetylcholine which is requiredfor working memory.[ii]
Studies show supplementing with CDP-Choline “may be useful for subjects with memory disorders of mild-to-moderate intensity. For subjects facing requirements for enhanced attention and mental effort”.[iii]
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- Bacopa Monnieri – 450 – 700 mg per day – Ancient Ayurvedic texts recommended this herb to devotees to help memorize long passages of text – it boosts acetycholineeffectiveness in your brain – and it modulates levels of dopamine and serotonin– it increases dendrite growth that is used to form working memory.
One study conducted at Swinburne University in Australia showed 62 healthy people aged 20 – 60 using a Bacopa Monnieri extract supplement 150 mg twice per day for 90 days improved working memory and precision during rapid identification tests.[iv]
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- L-Tyrosine – 500 mg twice per day – a precursor to the synthesis of dopamine and norepinephrine – involved in working memory and especially useful when under stress.
A study conducted at Leiden University in the Netherlands recruited 22 students aged 18 – 25 years. Participants took 2 grams of L-Tyrosine with orange juice and then engaged in the N-back Test (which is used to test working memory).
Or try a pre-made nootropic stack containing CDP-Choline (Citicoline), Bacopa Monnieri, and L-Tyrosine (as NALT) here: Mind Lab Pro®
Check out the rest of his article to simply understand the ins and outs of how memory works and what you can do to support/improve your current challenge.