The way you live your life plays a vital role in how much or how well you remember. A team of researchers in Israel has suggested that adapting a healthier lifestyle can help improve working memory . For the study, which was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry , the research team recruited 823 participants aged between 22 and 37 years. The participants underwent brain scans during a difficult memory task and accomplished post-scan memory test. The research team also measured the health and lifestyle of the participants. Results from the brain scans revealed the brain regions that mainly engage in working memory tasks. These include the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, parietal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex. These brain regions served as a frame of reference to evaluate the relationship between working memory and health and lifestyle. The research team found that there was a strong association between activity in working-memory brain areas and health and lifestyle. After taking into consideration all behavior and health factors, the highest positive correlation occurred with fluid intelligence, reading, spatial orientation, picture vocabulary, several memory tests, and attentiveness, respectively. In addition, these healthy lifestyle habits generally improved brain function of the participants. On the other hand, there was an inverse correlation between specific lifestyle indicators as a large body mass index and various unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as binge drinking and regular smoking. Health factors that correlated negatively with working-memory brain areas included a high body mass index (BMI), high blood pressure, and reduced glucose regulation. (Related: Poor lifestyle habits in middle age cause brain shrinkage and cognitive decline .) Mother Nature’s micronutrient secret : Organic Broccoli Sprout Capsules now available, delivering 280mg of high-density nutrition, including the extraordinary "sulforaphane" and "glucosinolate" nutrients found only in cruciferous healing foods. Every lot laboratory tested. See […]

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Want better working memory? Nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits play key roles in how much you remember