Build a better memory

Wondering what happened to that thingy you had on top of the whatchamacallit yesterday? A pair of vitamins plus one renegade might be able to help you out with that.

Seems older people who are short on vitamin B-12 have more trouble recalling certain words, and low levels of folate (B-9) may add to the brain drain.

Without B vitamins, your brain's neurotransmitters don't work perfectly. To compound the problem, the levels of homocysteine in your blood rise, doubling your risk of developing Alzheimer's. Although there's no scientific evidence that B supplements catapult your thinking to Mensa levels, the B's in vitamins are generally as safe as B's in college were, and anecdotal evidence is enticing.

But getting enough B's to keep your mind sharp takes effort. Even one serving of salmon and one of mahi mahi a day, plus an egg, a cup of milk and a cup of yogurt — all B-12 sources — won't get you to 25 micrograms of that vitamin. To guard against a shortfall, especially if you're a vegetarian, it's smart to take a supplement.

Folate (B-9), however, is in lots of fortified foods, including cereals, breads and pastas, so you may get plenty in your diet; we recommend 400 micrograms. Don't take a supplement unless your doctor tests your B-12 levels. High levels of folate may mask a B-12 deficiency.

Those B's are the pair; the renegade is vitamin D, which also helps your brain. Get at least 1,200 IU a day, and maybe up to 2,000. You'll have to use supplements, but you shouldn't have trouble remembering them.

The YOU Docs, Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz, are authors of the "YOU: Being Beautiful — The Owner's Manual to Inner and Outer Beauty." To submit questions, go to RealAge.com. Distributed by King Features Syndicate.