Article: Memory and the Aging Process

Memory and the Aging Process

Age Has Its Compensations

You probably never thought that aging has its benefits when viewing memory. As we mature we can look forward to some pleasant surprises about our minds. The young and the young at heart anticipate surprises with a sense of positive excitement.

Youth looks forward to maturation because growth has its rewards. Our minds are fertile ground for development throughout our life and they absorb and store fantastic amounts of information and experiences that await our retrieval. With time we lose some powers of the mind; however, there are compensating gains.

As we age we seem to forget where we put things and we cannot remember the events in a movie or even what we were just about to do or say. Most people just accept this as a part of old age. Of course our bodies physically age; but it seldom occurs to us that our minds age too.

We lose some memory with advanced age, but we may find that certain events that happened long ago will surface and become clearer as the years' progress. This is a great compensation to inevitable short-term memory loss. To accept memory loss as part of the aging process we need to look closer at what is occurring within us. However, first we need to understand the difference between short and long-term memory.

Short vs Long-Term Memory

Short-term memory is remembering what you said or did recently. Long-term memory is remembering what happened years ago. Short-term memory loss can happen to any one of any age; but more frequently with seniors.

As we age, debris that coats our cells cause blockages in the transmission of information to and from our brain. A build-up of toxic by-products of the Candida albicans yeast in our bodies also contributes to this interference of information transmission.

This particular yeast overgrowth can cause you to experience a foggy mind and an inability to concentrate; with or without recurrent headaches. Besides these symptoms, Candida albicans overgrowth may cause the anxiety that further contributes to the annoyance of short-term memory loss.

It is important that you consult a nutritionally oriented doctor to help you determine if you may have this malady because it is an obstinate condition that can detrimentally affect you both mentally and physically.

Short-term memory loss also occurs from the aging process of poorly nourished brain cells and/or a simple couch potato effect of thought inactivity. We lose millions of neurons each year that may decrease our short-term memory; but a wonder of nature gifts us with greater long-term memory and heightened states of awareness that is unique to aging.

Greater long-term memory and heightened states of awareness occur due to tiny filaments that branch about each nerve cell connecting them. These filaments called dendrites, derive their name from the Greek reference of tree due to their branching appearance.

Dendrites are numerous, and as we age we continue to develop even more of these filaments that send signals to each of the nerve cells they connect. Therefore, we have a greater capacity to experience other levels of consciousness. Many writers will attest to the fact that their work improves as they age because their consciousness burns with greater brilliance.

Nutrition Affects Brain Transmissions

The above mentioned brilliance is a benefit bestowed upon those who attune their minds to seeking higher levels of awareness. To assist this search, we must exercise and nourish our minds. Proper blood flow delivers much needed nutrients to the brain; keeping it healthy.

Senility cannot manifest itself if our brain is healthy. Signs of senility are due to poor nutrition, a vitamin deficiency and lack of internal body lubrication or dehydration. Maintaining our bodies and minds for optimum performance is not difficult; but it does need our close attention.

We understand the necessity of cleaning or replacing spark plugs in our car and changing its oil filter; but few of us realize the need to do something similar for our own bodies. Like an oil filter, our liver is a major filter of the body and it needs beneficial foods and nutrients to remain healthy.

Dendrites relate to spark plugs that ignite to send transmissions to the mind informing us of on-going events within our body. Nutrition can either positively or negatively affect the message processes of dendrites.

We can help our bodies and minds by activating the chemical dopamine through beneficial food such as dark green leafy vegetables. Normal dopamine levels allow us to respond to life with more contentment and a brighter outlook.

Sharing Life's Experiences

As we mature, our mental processes greatly affect the outcome of our life. If we choose to nurture our minds with good books, good conversation and good food, the benefits are apparent. Life can become directed toward pursuing activities that raise our consciousness. By doing so, we break free of the restraints of nagging fears and doubts that bog us down.

As we age we increasingly can retrieve and share life experiences that may help to illuminate another person's path. Just as dendrites connect to nerve cells, we connect to each other.

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