that mess with your memorytitle vitamin b12 deficiencyurltext vegetarians and vegans are at a higher risk of being deficient in vitamin b12 which keeps the bodys nerve and blood cells healthy and helps make dna more research is needed to determine for sure whether or not highfat diets impact human memory but heres what we do know calorically dense diets promote type 2 diabetes hypertension and cardiovascular disease which can all do damage to our brains says dr towfigh other menopauserelated symptoms contribute to memory loss including insomnia and sleep apnea dr fotuhi says studies link childhood obesity with a reduced attention span and impaired concentration and focus pregnant women older adults and anyone with pernicious anemia or gastrointestinal disorders like celiac disease and crohns disease may need supplementation you made your sixmonth dentist appointment three months late quicklist 12category although there is no vaccine for the cold sore virus childhood vaccinations against other viruses could help prevent problems later in life the researchers suggest a butterflyshaped gland that sits along the front of your windpipe the thyroid reigns over almost all your bodys metabolic processes quicklist 10category surprising things that mess with your memorytitle green teaurltext now for some good news chemicals found in green tea may help improve your memory according to a university of basel study quicklist 8category surprising things that mess with your memorytitle stressurltext a sudden emergency can make it tough to recall something as simple as your home address the standard recommendation of eight hours of sleep a night doesnt necessarily work for everyone this article originally appeared on healthcom fear not most forgetfulness isnt anything serious says majid fotuhi md phd founder and chief medical officer of neurexpand brain center in luterville md and coauthor of the memory cure lack of sleep certain medications and even stress can impact your memory although the thyroid doesnt have a specific role in the brain memory loss is the one thing a person notices when it stops functioning normally says dr fotuhi if you wake up fatigued and fall asleep unintentionally during the day then you may need more sleep says dr towfigh quicklist 4category quicklist 9category surprising things that mess with your memorytitle germsurltext a nasty cold sore does more than make you feel selfconsciousit may be messing with your memory according to a 2013 study in neurology memory improves once the hot flashes subside tricyclic antidepressants have a similar effect a rat study published in neuron shows that stress hormones influence an area of the brain area that controls working memory we dont understand the exact link but strong evidence indicates depression anxiety and bipolar disease disrupts the neural circuitry involved in developing and retrieving memories says dr towfigh the good news is when memory loss exists with a mood disorder including anxiety and depression the memory loss is usually at least partially reversible as the individuals mood improves often so does the memory loss says dr towfigh 15 myths and