Acetylcholine.
No, I didn’t just sneeze, but hopefully this long and poetic word will soon “get on your nerves” (groan). This famous brain chemical plays a key roll in transmitting nerve impulses that directly affect memory, mood, and learning. Quick, go get some of it before you read on so that this blog post will sink in. Just kidding. Acetylcholine (pronounced “ah-seat-ill-co-lean” and abbreviated ACh) also helps with muscle function, so there’s double the reason to bolstered it up quickly.
Plainly put, ACh readies the muscles for work and excites the nerves to action. It is the firecracker under our feet to jump start all movement (voluntary or automatic). In terms of memory, it revs up the synapses and shuttles information across from nerve ending to never ending.
Here’s another med-speak word with which we should be familiar: Anticholinergic. A process or a substance that is anticholinergic blocks ACh from doing its job. When in life are we most exposed to anticholinergic effects? The biggest risk comes from certain medications such as some antihistamines, anti-depressants, and pain medications. The second risk is when trauma strikes the body (i.e. major surgery, accidents, extreme stress, severe sleep deprivation, etc.). Try playing a game of Perfection or Memory Match when you’ve had a colossally bad night’s sleep. That which is anticholinergic affects word recall, name recognition, and so on. It is the culprit responsible for the term “brain cramp” and the reason you stand in the middle of a room saying, “I know I came in here for a reason.” Not only is your memory impaired, so too is your reaction time. In short, in this case, ACh has left the building.
The University of California, Berkley Wellness Letter reports that we generally have enough ACh in our systems but in times of need it can be boosted by diet and stress management. The nutrient choline can help form ACh in the body. Good sources of choline are eggs, lean meats (as in turkey), brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and baked beans. Looks like Thanksgiving is a good time to automatically boost ACh.
Limit or avoid medications that can thwart the efforts of our heroic neurotransmitter. Talk to your doctor about your medications before adjusting or stopping them and certainly don’t forgo pain management. Rather, try not to complicate matters by overdoing medications and be prepared to suffer a memory lapse here or there, knowing once the trauma and stress are resolved, so too will your memory. Bottom line, be gentle with yourself and don’t panic that age or dementia are settling in as permanent markers. Perfection in memory is an unfair standard in the best of times, and trauma will always subside, always. It WILL get better, I promise.
What also helps?
Exercise and quality sleep — two of the best remedies for stress management (and all of life’s woes really). A swift 20 minute walk can clear your head, and that marvelous post meal nap? Ahhh. A 1-2 punch in an anticholinergic smackdown!
Dealing with holiday travel, lots of people, and family history (or histrionics in some cases) can be very stressful, so, again, go easy on yourself. Use the holiday time to breathe, walk, stretch, rest, gather with loved ones who lift you up, and eat good healthy foods. ACh will stick around in this welcoming environment and prep you for the tough holiday hub-bub that may lie around the corner. ‘Tis the season, so bolster up!