Most people have occasional lapses in memory, such as forgetting a new acquaintance’s name or misplacing the car keys

6. Avoid high calorie diets

Along with cutting out sources of excess sugar, reducing overall caloric intake may also help protect the brain.

Researchers noteTrusted Source that high calorie diets can impair memory and lead to obesity. The effects on memory may be due to how high calorie diets lead to inflammation in particular parts of the brain.

While most research in this area has been with animals, a study from 2009 looked at whether restricting calories in humans could improve memory.

Female participants with an average age of 60.5 years reduced their calorie intake by 30%. The researchers found that they had a significant improvement in verbal memory scores and that the benefit was most significant in those who stuck to the diet best.