Forgetting occurs either as a result of the disappearance of memories, which usually happens when information is forgotten in the short-term memory, or as a result of the inability to retrieve the memories stored in the memory system, which is what usually happens when the information in the long-term memory is forgotten.
Treatment of forgetfulness
Food items that help treat forgetfulness:
Fatty fish :
Especially fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for the functioning of the brain. It is also possible to take nutritional supplements that contain omega-3 if you are unable to eat fish.
Coconut oil:
Coconut oil contains types of fatty acids that increase the work of the brain in improving memory.
Eggs:
Eggs contain a substance called choline that helps synthesize the neurotransmitter that works in the brain, acetylcholine, so its presence in the diet increases memory, but it should be eaten in moderation because it contains high amounts of cholesterol.
Vitamin B complex:
These vitamins contribute to improving memory to produce the necessary neurotransmitters for the body, as they help protect nerves, and strengthen the brain and immune system. It is found in bananas, avocados, and whole grains such as kidney beans, black beans, green chickpeas, and other types of grains.
Rosemary herb:
A research published in the Journal of Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology in 2012 was conducted on twenty participants, the results of which indicated that the scent of rosemary oil may contribute to increasing the speed and accuracy of mental functions. Northumbria University researchers also conducted an experiment in 2013 on sixty-six healthy adults aimed at elucidating the effect of the scent of rosemary oil in aiding mental exams. In addition, Northumbria University researchers found in 2017 that elementary school-aged children who were in a room where the rosemary oil spray was deployed performed better on the results of the mental tasks that were asked of them than their classmates who were in another room where the rosemary oil was not applied. .
Ginger:
According to a study published in 2011 entitled “Dietary Supplements Containing Ginger Enhance Working Memory in Postmenopausal Women,” which was conducted on sixty middle-aged Thai postmenopausal women, and concluded that Ginger extract is considered an important candidate for increased cognition in postmenopausal women, yet knowledge of the mode of action and the active substance with effect are still under study.
Walnut leaf:
According to a study published in 2015 in "The Journal of nutrition, health & aging" aimed at studying the relationship between nut consumption and cognitive functions, as it was conducted on a sample from the United States of America between the ages of twenty to ninety years. There is an important and positive link between nut consumption and cognitive functions in adults, regardless of age, gender or race.
Instructions to help treat forgetfulness
Maintain mental activity:
Mind-stimulating activities such as crossword games, learning to play musical instruments, and more help preserve the brain and delay memory loss.
Regular contact with others:
Social activity helps prevent depression and stress that contribute to memory loss.
Organizing:
such as writing down tasks, appointments, etc., and reading the tasks that are being written aloud helps to memorize and install them in the memory. It also helps to write a list of tasks that must be completed and to verify the tasks performed. In addition to not accomplishing many things and tasks simultaneously, and the occurrence of confusion is reduced.
Sleeping well:
so that getting an adequate amount of sleep is a priority, as sleep has an important role in strengthening and stabilizing memories, and thus the ease of retrieving these memories. It is worth noting that the amount of sleep that most adults need ranges from seven to nine hours a day.
Inclusion of physical activities within the daily schedule:
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends to healthy adults that they should spend a hundred and fifty minutes a week practicing moderate sports activities such as brisk walking, or seventy-five minutes per week practicing violent sports activities such as sport Jogging, as it is preferable to be distributed during the week, as the practice of physical activities increases blood flow to all parts of the body, including the brain, which may contribute to maintaining the strength of memory.
Controlling chronic health conditions:
You must follow the instructions and advice of the attending physician regarding any chronic disease, as taking care of yourself may improve memory, and among these diseases are depression, high cholesterol, diabetes, thyroid diseases, and others. The treatments and medications must be followed up with the attending physician. Some medications may affect memory.
Theories explaining forgetfulness
Decay effect theory:
This theory assumes that memories leave an effect - a physical or chemical change in the nervous system - in the brain, where forgetfulness occurs as a result of going away and the spontaneous decay of these effects. This theory explains the forgetfulness that occurs in short-term memory.
Displacement theory:
This theory explains the forgetfulness that may occur in the short-term memory, and assumes that there is a specific capacity for the short-term memory, and when it is filled with information, the new information is replaced by the old information, and it is removed from the memory and thus this old information is forgotten.
Interference theory:
This theory assumes that forgetfulness occurs as a result of the interference and confusion of ideas to each other. This theory has two methods and two explanations, which are the preemptive interference, which occurs when old memories distort the learning of new memories, and the reactionary interference that occurs when new memories distort the existence of old memories.
Loss of consolidation:
The merging process is considered to be the time required to effect changes in the nervous system when new information is obtained, as the information is transmitted in the meantime from the short-term memory to the long-term memory in order to be properly recorded and preserved, and depending on some evidence, the merging process may It weakens when there is an abnormality or problem in a part of the brain called the hippocampus, and aging may also cause this.
Retrieval Failure Theory:
This theory assumes the presence of information stored in long-term memory, but it is not recoverable due to the loss of the necessary signals to retrieve it