Selenium
Selenium is an integral part of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which protects cell membranes. Selenium is a strong antioxidant, and therefore may work against memory loss, but this has not been tested systematically. The daily dietary requirement of selenium is 70 micrograms for men and 55 micrograms for women, and is easily obtained from grains, nuts, fish, and dairy products.
Magnesium
Both magnesium and selenium increase the production of antibodies and enhance immune system function. Magnesium is also a catalyst for enzymes involved in energy production, and helps to regulate cell membrane stability. This range of actions has lent it some standing as an antiaging and antimemory-loss therapy, but systematic clinical studies have not yet been conducted.
Magnesium may have antianxiety and antistress properties. Since magnesium has cardiac effects, if you are a heart patient you need to check with your doctor if you plan to start taking magnesium supplements. Magnesium is chemically very similar to calcium, and the two have to be in close balance— yin and yang— for proper bodily function. Therefore, high calcium intake needs to accompany magnesium therapy. Magnesium is present in a variety of foodstuffs: fruits, dairy products, green leafy vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seafood. A normal diet easily exceeds the FDA minimum daily requirement of 350 mg for men and 280 mg for women.
Aluminum
Metals like chromium, magnesium, and selenium compete with aluminum in some of their actions because they occupy similar positions in the periodic table of natural elements. The interest in these elements accelerated after the aluminum theory of Alzheimer’s disease was proposed. In the early 1980s, traces of aluminum were found in the plaques and tangles that develop in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. However, community surveys across the world show no link between aluminum exposure and dementia, or even milder forms of memory loss. As a result, research in this area has floundered in recent years. Few studies have been conducted with any of these metals as a treatment for memory loss.
Taken From: The Memory Program How to Prevent Memory Loss
and Enhance Memory Power
