It sounds like an infomercial(1) from late-night TV: Follow this four-step plan and improve your memory in just 14 days!

    But researchers have indeed found a way to improve memory function in older people. After a two-week study that involved brainteasers(2), exercise and diet changes, study participants' memories worked more efficiently.

    Here's the program:

    Memory Training: Brainteasers, crossword puzzles(3) and memory exercises that emphasized verbal(4) skills throughout the day.

    Healthy Diet: Five meals daily included a balanced diet rich in omega-3(5) fats, whole grains and antioxidants(6). Eating frequent meals prevents dips in blood glucose(7), the primary energy source for the brain.

    Physical Fitness: Brisk(8) daily walks and stretching. Physical fitness has been found in other research to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease(9).

    Stress Reduction: Stretching and relaxation exercises. Stress causes the body to release cortisol(10), which can impair memory and has been found to shrink the memory centers in the brain.

    Before-and-after brain scans showed the participants experienced on average a five percent decrease in brain metabolism(11) in the dorsal(12) lateral(13) prefrontal(14) region of the brain, which is directly linked to working memory and other cognitive(15) functions. This suggests they were using their brains more efficiently. The subjects also performed better on a cognitive test.

    A control group that didn't follow the plan showed no significant changes.

    "We've known for years that diet and exercise can help people maintain their physical health, which is a key component(16) of healthy aging," said Gary Small, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences UCLA.

    "But maintaining mental health is just as important. Now we have evidence which suggests that people can preserve their memory by adding memory exercises and stress reduction to this routine."

    聽上去好象是深夜電視購物節目：按照以下四步去做，兩周后你的記憶力就會得到提高。

    但是，研究人員真的找到了一種提高老年人記憶功能的方法。通過兩周的腦筋急轉彎、體育鍛煉和飲食調整，參與者的記憶力確有增強。

    步驟如下：

    記憶力訓練：全天進行腦筋急轉彎、縱橫字謎和語言技巧的記憶力練習。

    健康的飲食：每天五頓飯，要富含omega-3脂肪酸、全谷和防老化的元素。多餐可以防止血糖降低，而血糖正是大腦能量的主要來源。

    體育鍛煉：每日散步和伸展運動。研究表明體育鍛煉可以降低老年癡呆癥患病幾率。

    減壓：伸展和放松鍛煉。緊張會導致人體釋放皮質醇，降低記憶力，縮小記憶中樞在大腦中的比重。

    腦部掃描的結果顯示：兩周后，受試者腦部前額葉背外側的新陳代謝降低了五個百分點。這一部位直接影響記憶和其他認知功能。就是說他們的大腦運行更加有效了。這個結果在認知方面的體現更為明顯。

    沒有參加訓練的受試者的掃描圖就基本上沒有變化。

    洛杉磯加利福尼亞大學精神病學和行為學教授加里斯默說：“很多年前，我們就知道合理的飲食和鍛煉能夠保持健康的身體，是老年人健康的重要因素，”

    “但是精神健康也同樣重要。現在我們可以確定地告訴人們，通過經常性的記憶訓練和減壓可以保持記憶力。”