Did you know that over 16 million people in the United States will suffer from age-related memory problems? That’s nearly 40% of everyone over the age of 65 years old, making it one of the most common issues faced by elders.

Age-related memory problems, also known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), is something every human being will go through at some point in their lives. While our bodies work extremely hard to repair itself and maintain proper functioning, they won’t be able to do this forever. Eventually, your body will start to age and your brain is no different. 

It’s one of the more frustrating parts of life. It won’t matter how much you exercise, how well your diet is, or how much time you dedicate to taking care of your body -- everyone will experience mild cognitive impairment eventually.

While there won’t be anything that can stop this from happening, there are plenty of things we can do to slow down the rate of cognitive decline and ensure this type of decline doesn’t happen sooner than it’s supposed to.

If you or a loved one has started to experience age-related memory problems, it’s not too late to find relief. With the right nutrients and supplementation, you can begin to give your brain exactly what it needs to function properly. It’s best to do something about it as early as possible to prevent it from getting any worse than it already is.

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Before we get started, it’s important to understand the difference between age-related memory problems and dementia. Many people will use these two terms interchangeably, but they’re two completely different diseases.

They both refer to memory loss, but one side of the spectrum will be due to natural causes (aging), while the other side of the spectrum is more serious and can be diagnosed in younger people (dementia). While dementia is much more serious, age-related memory problems have to be dealt with properly as well. 

If you’re struggling with your memory and are trying to figure out whether it’s dementia or mild cognitive impairment, it’s best to talk to your doctor. Dementia will generally be caused by an underlying medical condition, while mild cognitive impairment will be caused by an aging brain. 

Here’s a more clear look at the differences between MCI and dementia:

One of the things doctors have realized about dementia and MCI is that MCI patients generally won’t have a concerned family. The memory problems are usually realized by the person and will go unnoticed to those close to them. 

On the other hand, dementia is much easier for others to notice and will almost always come with worried family members. In some cases, the person won’t know they’re experiencing dementia -- which is a sure-tell sign that something is wrong. 

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While age-related memory problems aren’t as serious as dementia, they can still have an adverse effect on the quality of anyone’s life. Not doing anything about it will only make it worse and eventually lead to something more serious like Azheimer’s or other forms of dementia.

It’s going to be more difficult to build relationships with other people, learn new things, remember important events, and add an overall sense of frustration to your normal day-to-day activities. It’s one of the things people hate about getting older and the reason why so many people fear getting old. 

Coping with mild cognitive impairment will be easier for some, but most people will need to make major changes in their life to combat this disease and reduce the rate that it gets worse. 

We have several tips to help you or a loved one cope with MCI, which are:

• Maintain a regular routine each day, including when you eat, when you sleep, when you work, and when you relax. 
• Make sure you eat a healthy diet every day and get enough sleep each night.
• Utilize a calendar and take advantage of to-do lists, make these things a habit.
•  Be more mindful about where you place things around the house and try to keep things organized as much as possible to avoid any confusion. 
• Talk to people more, keep your mind active, and play those little mind games on your phone.
• Learn to repeat important things when you hear them, such as someone’s name or what street they live on.

There has been a growing amount of research being performed on the effects of folic acid in people experiencing age-related memory problems. That’s because one of the most common things found in these patients was a folic acid deficiency -- something that’s been linked to a wide range of diseases.