
Can You Recover Your Memory and Rebuild Brain Health?
Author: Kezia Hall · First published: 30/11/2023 · Last reviewed: 08/10/2026
You walk into a room and forget why. A familiar name sits on the tip of your tongue and won’t come out. Changes like these can feel worrying, especially if dementia has touched your family. But the good news is that your brain keeps rewiring itself throughout life, and many of the things that wear memory down are within your control.
How much you can recover depends on what’s driving the change. Whether you want to stop your memory getting worse or sharpen it, you need three things:
- Structure: the nutrients your brain uses to build and maintain brain cells and their connections
- Function: a reliable fuel supply
- Utilisation: an active physical, social and intellectual life
Think of it as servicing a car. Structure is the bodywork, function is the fuel, and utilisation is actually taking it out on the road.
Can You Recover Your Memory?
Often, yes. It depends on the cause. Memory problems linked to poor sleep, low mood, stress, side effects of some medicines, or a deficiency such as low vitamin B12 or an underactive thyroid often improve once the cause is put right. Depression is the most common of these.[1] That’s why doctors are advised to rule out reversible causes before anything else.[2] If memory decline turns out to be part of a progressive condition such as Alzheimer’s, fully reversible cases are rare. One review of memory-clinic studies found potentially reversible causes in about 9% of people, but only around 0.6% actually recovered.[3] There, the aim is to slow decline and protect the brain function you still have, and that’s why prevention matters so much. The earlier you start, the more there is to protect.
Your brain keeps forming and strengthening connections at every age, a capacity called neuroplasticity. Better nutrition, regular activity, good sleep and a busy mind give it what it needs to adapt.
If your memory changes are persistent, getting worse or have no obvious explanation, see your GP first to rule out medical causes.
Can Brain Cells Recover?
Here it pays to be precise. Brain cells (neurons) that have died aren’t replaced the way skin cells are. Scientists still disagree about whether adults keep growing new neurons in the hippocampus, the brain’s memory hub. One major study found little evidence of it,[4] while another found thousands of new neurons even in people in their eighties.[5]
What isn’t in doubt is that your brain can rewire itself. Surviving neurons grow new branches and form new connections, and the ones you use get stronger. Brain regions can even grow. In one trial, a year of brisk walking enlarged the hippocampus of older adults by about 2% and improved their memory. The comparison group lost volume, as you’d expect with age.[6]
So rebuilding your brain doesn’t mean regrowing damaged tissue. It means protecting the brain cells you have, giving them the raw materials to keep their connections in good repair, and using them enough that those connections stay. For the nutrients your brain uses to build its cells, read how to keep building brain cells at any age.
What Causes Memory and Brain Function to Decline?
Memory is very subjective. One person’s sense of how good their memory is can be very different from the next person’s. Many people later in life are convinced their memory is slipping. Others choose the path of denial, even when it’s becoming obvious to those around them.
Real decline is rarely down to one thing. It’s usually several factors adding up, most of which you can change:
- Poor building materials: too little omega-3 and too few B vitamins, which shows up as raised homocysteine
- An unreliable fuel supply: years of consuming too much sugar and refined carbohydrate can contribute to insulin resistance and make it harder for the brain to use glucose efficiently (see how the brain gets its fuel).
- Oxidative stress: wear and tear from free radicals outpacing your brain’s antioxidant defences
- Low vitamin D
- Inactivity: physical, mental and social
- Poor sleep and chronic stress
Age and genes matter, but they set your starting point, not your destination. These are the same drivers that push up Alzheimer’s risk, which is why how to Alzheimer’s-proof yourself reads so much like the advice here. For the bigger picture, see our systems-based approach to brain health and the 8 domains of brain health. If your main problem is foggy thinking rather than forgetting, start with how to clear brain fog.
The good news is that the parts of cognition that decline on the road to dementia can be measured objectively, decades before any diagnosis. That gives you time to course-correct while there’s plenty of road ahead.
How Is Your Memory Performing?
The free, validated online Cognitive Function Testâ„¢ takes about 15-20 minutes. It measures three key areas of cognitive function: episodic memory, attention and executive function, helping to identify signs of cognitive decline and potential cognitive impairment. Afterwards, a short questionnaire shows you which parts of your diet and lifestyle need attention. You’ll need a tablet or computer, not a phone. It isn’t a diagnosis. It’s your road map.
Take the Free Cognitive Function Test
How to Support Memory and Rebuild Brain Health
1. Structure: Give Your Brain the Nutrients It Needs
B Vitamins, Omega-3 and Memory
B vitamins and omega-3 fats are a dynamic duo. Each works best when the other is in good supply.
Homocysteine is an amino acid. Your body uses the B vitamins B6, B12 and folate to break it down. When you’re short of B vitamins, homocysteine builds up, and raised homocysteine is linked to faster brain shrinkage.
Omega-3 fats, especially DHA, are built into the membranes of your brain cells. They keep those membranes fluid and help neurotransmitters, your brain’s chemical couriers, do their job.
The Oxford VITACOG trial gave homocysteine-lowering B vitamins to people with mild cognitive impairment. Their brains shrank more slowly than those of people taking a placebo, and the effect was greatest in people who started with high homocysteine.[7]
Then came the twist. The benefit depended on omega-3.Among people with good omega-3 levels, B vitamins slowed brain shrinkage by 40% compared with placebo. The effect was even more striking in those who also had raised homocysteine levels at the start, with brain shrinkage slowing by an impressive 73%. By contrast, B vitamins made no significant difference in people with low omega-3 levels.8
It works the other way round too. In the Swedish OmegAD trial, people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s took 2.3g of omega-3 a day. Those who already had good B vitamin status (low homocysteine) did better on memory and clinical measures than those on placebo.[9]
For the full brain-shrinkage story, read omega-3 and B vitamins: nutrients that may slow brain shrinkage. For your memory, here’s what to do:
- Get your Omega-3 Index above 8%. Eat oily fish three times a week, or take fish oil capsules. Here’s how much omega-3 you need and what to look for in a supplement.
- Keep your homocysteine below 7 µmol/L. If it’s higher, take a broad-spectrum formula containing B12, folate, B6, TMG, zinc and NAC. Find out more about how B vitamins lower homocysteine, and try these 8 natural ways to lower homocysteine.
Up Your Antioxidants
The next stop on the brain upgrade road trip is to fill up on antioxidants. Think of them as your brain’s fuel filter, mopping up the free radicals that energy production leaves behind. Two key players are glutathione and melatonin.
Your body makes glutathione from NAC (N-acetyl cysteine), which belongs in your homocysteine-lowering formula. Glutathione is also recycled by anthocyanins, the pigments in blue and red foods such as blueberries. Spinach and dark chocolate help too, and onions, asparagus and eggs supply its building blocks.
- Eat a serving of berries every day.
- Read more in how to keep your brain young with antioxidants.
Melatonin is best known as the sleep hormone, but it’s also a powerful antioxidant with a possible anti-ageing role in the brain.[10] Your melatonin depends on two things:
- your serotonin status (serotonin is made from tryptophan or 5-HTP)
- good-quality sleep
Research has used 1–5mg of melatonin at night, particularly in people with poor sleep or cognitive impairment. In the UK, melatonin is prescription-only, so ask your GP whether it’s right for you.
Don’t Forget Niacin
Vitamin B3, in the form of niacin, has a particular link with memory.
A 25-year US study tracked the diets of adults from ages 18 to 30 and assessed their cognitive function in middle age. Higher intakes of four B vitamins, niacin (B3), folate (B9), B6 and B12, were all significantly associated with better processing speed, with niacin showing the strongest association. Niacin was also linked to better executive function.[11]
A study of older adults in Chicago found that those consuming the most niacin (vitamin B3) from food had approximately 70% lower relative risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than those consuming the least. Higher niacin intake was also associated with slower cognitive decline.[12]
A small double-blind trial from 1985 gave healthy adults approximately 425 mg of niacin (vitamin B3) daily, more than 26 times the standard 16 mg nutrient reference value. After eight weeks, participants showed measurable improvements in short-term memory and sensory information processing compared with placebo.[13]
The first two studies show associations, not proof of cause, but they all point the same way.
NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide), a vitamin B3 derivative involved in cellular energy production, is attracting interest in brain ageing research. In animal studies, NMN combined with melatonin improved memory and helped protect the hippocampus by supporting mitochondrial function and reducing markers of cell damage.[14] Human trials have since shown that NMN can raise NAD+ levels, but whether it improves memory or protects against dementia remains unproven. NMN is also subject to novel food authorisation in the UK and EU, with regulatory approval still being finalised as of October 2026.
2. Function: Support Brain Energy and Metabolism
Fill the Energy Gap with C8 Oil
Your brain uses about a fifth of your body’s energy, so it needs a reliable fuel supply. People with blood sugar problems, and many older people, struggle to get glucose into the brain’s energy factories, the mitochondria. The result is a brain energy gap.
Your brain has a back-up fuel: ketones, which your body makes from fat. The fastest food-based way to make them is C8 oil, a particular type of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT).
- In older adults without dementia, a 2022 review of six trials found that four showed memory benefits from MCTs, mainly in working memory. The authors call for more research to confirm this and settle the best dose.[15]
- It isn’t only older brains. At Liverpool Hope University, 30 healthy young adults took 12g or 18g a day of a C8/C10 blend. Aspects of their working memory and planning improved within two to three weeks.[16]
How much to take:
- If you’re younger and healthy, start with one tablespoon of C8 oil a day.
- Build up to two tablespoons if you’re older, already noticing some decline, or your blood sugar is raised. An HbA1c above 5.4% (36 mmol/mol) counts as raised.
- Increase gradually to avoid an upset stomach.
For more on how ketones work, plus fasting and the Hybrid Latté, read ketones and your brain.
Top Up Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a true all-rounder for the brain. It helps calm inflammation and supports the signalling between nerve cells.
A French study followed 916 adults aged 65 and over for up to 12 years. Those with vitamin D deficiency had nearly three times the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared with those with sufficient levels. Low vitamin D was also associated with faster cognitive decline.[17]
A large US study followed 12,388 adults, averaging 71 years of age, for up to 10 years. Those taking vitamin D supplements had a 40% lower adjusted rate of developing dementia compared with non-users. However, as this was an observational study, it cannot establish whether vitamin D supplementation itself prevented dementia.[18]
These findings come from observational studies, but a randomised, placebo-controlled trial involving 210 people with Alzheimer’s disease also reported encouraging results. Those given 800 IU (20 µg) of vitamin D daily for 12 months showed improvements in several cognitive test scores compared with placebo.[19]
Aim for a blood level above 75nmol/l (30ng/ml). Read vitamin D for mind, memory and mood for how much to take in winter and in summer.
3. Utilisation: Keep Your Brain Active
Structure and fuel only pay off if you take the car out on the road.
- Learning: learning something new, especially something hard that you sometimes fail at, is one of the strongest signals you can send your brain to keep its connections.
- Exercise: Regular physical activity supports brain health. In a randomised trial involving 120 older adults, moderate-intensity walking three times a week increased hippocampal volume by approximately 2% over 12 months, alongside improvements in spatial memory.[6] Combining aerobic activity with resistance training is a sensible approach to overall health and fitness.
- Social contact: keeps you thinking, talking and remembering.
- Sleep: this is when your brain files away the day’s memories.
Here’s a simple plan:
- Take up one new skill.
- Walk briskly every day and do two strength sessions a week.
- Spend regular time with people you enjoy.
- Protect your sleep.
For the science, including Professor Tommy Wood’s work on learning by failing, read why an active lifestyle is a brain essential.
Mushrooms and Your Mind: Optional Extras
Various plants and fungi have effects on memory that are worth knowing about. The evidence is earlier-stage than for the nutrients above, so think of these as optional extras on top of the foundations, not instead of them.
Lion’s Mane is a fungus that has improved aspects of memory and cognitive function in small trials:
- In a small Japanese trial, adults aged 50 and over who took 3.2 g daily for 12 weeks showed improvements on a test of general cognitive function compared with placebo. However, improvements were not significant on two specific memory tests, and larger trials are needed to confirm the benefits.[20]
- Another trial involving 30 people with mild cognitive impairment found improved cognitive scores after 16 weeks, although these gains diminished within four weeks of stopping supplementation.[21]
- A small Taiwanese pilot trial involving people with mild Alzheimer’s disease also reported encouraging results. After 49 weeks of supplementation with an erinacine A-enriched Lion’s Mane preparation, participants showed improvements in some measures of cognitive function and daily living, although the findings require confirmation in larger trials.[22]
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) has a long history of use in traditional East Asian medicine, particularly for promoting health and longevity. Early animal research suggests potential brain benefits. In a study of mice genetically modified to model Alzheimer’s disease, Reishi polysaccharides improved aspects of learning and memory, promoted the growth of new neurons in the hippocampus and reduced amyloid deposits. However, whether these findings translate into cognitive benefits in humans remains uncertain.[23]
Ginkgo biloba, from one of the world’s oldest surviving tree lineages, has shown some benefits for memory and cognitive performance in small, short-term trials. A 30-day study in healthy adults reported improvements in working memory and information processing, while a six-week trial in older adults found improvements in certain memory tests.[24,25] However, a much larger US trial involving 3,069 older adults found that taking Ginkgo for approximately six years did not reduce the risk of developing dementia.[26]
- Typical dose: 120–300mg of a standardised extract.
- Caution: it slightly thins the blood, so take care if you’re on blood thinners.
Maca, ginseng, Siberian ginseng and rhodiola are traditionally used to support energy and resilience to stress, and are often described as adaptogens. Early research suggests that some may help with fatigue, mood and aspects of cognitive performance. A review of maca research, for example, identified promising effects on memory and fatigue, particularly with black maca, although much of the evidence came from animal studies.[27] More human trials are needed to establish their benefits for brain health.
Guarana is another popular stimulant, but its main active ingredient is caffeine. While it can temporarily improve alertness and concentration, regular use can lead to tolerance, meaning the same dose may have less effect over time. It can also disrupt sleep, potentially undermining the very brain function you’re trying to support.
To explore the potential benefits of medicinal mushrooms for memory, cognitive function and brain health, watch our Mushrooms and the Mind webinar, which takes a closer look at the science behind these fascinating fungi.
What Foods Support Memory and Brain Health?
There’s no single superfood that brings memory back. What works is a way of eating that gives your brain building materials, steady fuel and protection, every day, for years. Here’s how the best foods for memory fit the three-step plan. For a longer list, see our 15 brain foods.
Oily fish: omega-3 for building your brain. Salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring (SMASH for short) provide ready-made DHA and EPA, the forms your brain uses directly.
- Eat oily fish three times a week.
- Choose smaller fish where you can. They’re lower down the food chain and carry less mercury.
- If you don’t eat fish, take an algae-based omega-3. Plant sources like flax, chia and walnuts convert only poorly to DHA. See algae oil vs fish oil.
Leafy greens: folate to keep homocysteine down. Spinach, kale, chard, rocket and broccoli are rich in folate, magnesium and antioxidants. Leafy greens are among the foods most consistently linked to slower memory decline in studies of Mediterranean and MIND diets. Eat a big handful every day. Find out more in greens means brains.
Berries and colourful vegetables: antioxidant protection. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, red cabbage, beetroot and peppers supply polyphenols that back up your brain’s own glutathione defences. Fresh or frozen both count. Aim for as many colours on your plate as you can.
Eggs, fish and meat: B12 and choline. Vitamin B12 comes almost only from animal foods, and low B12 is one of the most common reversible causes of memory problems in older people. It’s harder to absorb as you age, because stomach acid tends to fall. Eggs also provide choline, which your brain uses to make acetylcholine, the memory neurotransmitter. If you’re vegan or over 60, consider a B12 supplement.
Nuts and seeds: steady fuel and minerals. Walnuts, almonds, and pumpkin, sunflower, chia and flax seeds add healthy fats, fibre, magnesium and zinc. Eaten with carbohydrate, they slow the release of sugar and keep your brain’s fuel supply steady.
Beans, lentils and chickpeas: slow-release carbs. They provide folate, protein and fibre with a low glycaemic load (GL). Use them instead of refined white carbohydrates, which are linked to faster memory decline.
Extra virgin olive oil: the Mediterranean staple. It’s rich in polyphenols and is the main fat in the Mediterranean-style diets most consistently linked to healthier brain ageing. Make it your main cooking and dressing oil. To compare the options, read Mediterranean, DASH or MIND diet?
Whole, minimally processed foods: the common thread. Ultra-processed foods tend to be high in sugar and refined starch and low in everything above. The less of your food comes in a packet, the more room there is for food that actually feeds your brain.
What you cut back on matters just as much. Sugar, white flour, fruit juice and too much alcohol all work against a steady brain fuel supply. Keep them to a minimum.
When Should You Seek Help for Memory Problems?
Everyone forgets things. See your GP if your memory or thinking changes are:
- persistent: most weeks, not just now and then
- getting worse over months
- unexplained: with no obvious reason such as a run of bad sleep or stress
- noticed by other people, or getting in the way of everyday tasks like managing money, medicines, appointments or finding your way
- sudden: if confusion or memory loss comes on suddenly, especially with weakness, slurred speech or a severe headache, get urgent medical help
Your GP can check for common causes that can be put right, such as low B12 or folate, thyroid problems, infections, side effects of medicines, depression and anxiety. If needed, they can refer you to a specialist memory service.[2] Changing your diet and lifestyle works alongside medical care, not instead of it.
How Do You Know if Your Memory Is Improving?
Memory is subjective, so the only reliable way to know is to measure it, make changes, then measure again. Take the Cognitive Function Test now and retest once a year. Each time you do, you become part of our research as a Citizen Scientist. Together, Citizen Scientists help us discover what people with high scores are doing differently from those with low scores. The more people who take part, the more we all learn.
Diana first took the Cognitive Function Test at 60. Now 70, her cognitive function has improved.
“I’ve been doing the Cognitive Function Test for about 10 years. I’m no longer worried that I’m losing my mental abilities. In fact, my memory is better, my vocabulary has improved and I’m no longer searching for that ‘right’ word – it’s springing to mind much more readily. People are even complimenting me on my great memory whereas in the past, I used to joke that I had the memory retention of a goldfish. Doing the test annually has given me confidence that ageing and Alzheimer’s are not to be feared and has played a significant role in reinforcing the lifestyle changes I’ve made.”
Diana, 70
Frequently Asked Questions
Often, at least in part. It depends on the cause. Memory problems linked to poor sleep, low mood, stress, certain medicines, low B12 or thyroid problems often improve once the cause is put right. If memory decline is part of a progressive condition, the aim is to slow it and protect the function you have. Acting early makes the biggest difference. If your memory changes are persistent or getting worse, see your GP first.
Neurons that have died aren’t replaced, and scientists still debate whether adults grow many new ones. But surviving brain cells can grow new connections and strengthen existing ones, and brain regions can change in size. In one trial, a year of walking enlarged the hippocampus, the brain’s memory hub, by about 2% in older adults. Good nutrition, activity and sleep protect the brain cells you have and keep their connections working.
You can strengthen it in three steps:
1. Give your brain the nutrients it builds with (omega-3, B vitamins and antioxidants).
2. Give it a reliable fuel supply (steady blood sugar, plus C8 oil for ketones).
3. Use it (learning, exercise and social contact).
Take the free Cognitive Function Test before and after making changes to see whether it’s working.
– Oily fish for omega-3
– Leafy greens for folate
– Berries and colourful vegetables for antioxidants
– Eggs for B12 and choline
– Nuts, seeds and beans for steady energy and minerals
– Extra virgin olive oil as your main fat
Just as important, cut right back on sugar, refined carbohydrates and ultra-processed foods. They work against a steady fuel supply to the brain.
The B vitamins B6, B12 and folate keep homocysteine down, and they work best alongside omega-3 fats. Vitamin D, niacin (B3) and antioxidant nutrients also play a part. Rather than guessing, test. A home blood test for homocysteine, Omega-3 Index and vitamin D shows exactly where you need support.
Take Food for the Brain’s free online Cognitive Function Test. It takes about 15-20 minutes on a tablet or computer and gives you a score plus personalised advice on your diet and lifestyle. It isn’t a diagnosis. If you’re worried about your memory, see your GP, who can carry out a medical assessment and refer you to a memory clinic if needed.
Start by Understanding Your Brain Health
Keeping your brain healthy is a lifelong journey, and it changes with the different stages of life. Just like on a road trip, you can sometimes get lost. No single food, nutrient or supplement guarantees that lost memory will come back. What works, for many people, is bringing together the right building materials, fuel and use, and checking regularly that you’re on the right road.
The good news is that you can get back on track. Knowing where you are is the first step. Here are three things to do today to start rebuilding your brain and protecting your precious memories:
- Take the free Cognitive Function Test to see where you are now.
- Test the biology behind it with the DRIfT 5-in-1 home blood test. It measures:
– homocysteine, which shows your need for B vitamins
– your Omega-3 Index
– vitamin D
– HbA1c, a measure of blood sugar control
– your glutathione index, a measure of antioxidant status - Put one or two pieces of the advice above into action within the next seven days
References
- Tripathi M, Vibha D. Reversible dementias. Indian J Psychiatry. 2009;51(Suppl 1):S52–S55.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Dementia: assessment, management and support for people living with dementia and their carers (NG97). 2018.
- Clarfield AM. The decreasing prevalence of reversible dementias: an updated meta-analysis. Arch Intern Med. 2003;163(18):2219–2229.
- Sorrells SF, Paredes MF, Cebrian-Silla A, et al. Human hippocampal neurogenesis drops sharply in children to undetectable levels in adults. Nature. 2018;555(7696):377–381.
- Moreno-Jiménez EP, Flor-GarcÃa M, Terreros-Roncal J, et al. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is abundant in neurologically healthy subjects and drops sharply in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Nature Medicine. 2019;25(4):554–560.
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