The #1 Best Drink for Memory Loss, New Study Says

If you want to improve your memory or simply keep your powers of recollection sharp for as long as possible, then there's one particular drink that you might want to add to your regular diet: a fermented dairy beverage.

If you're curious, "fermented dairy products, such as yogurt, fermented milk, and fermented whey beverages," contain something called probiotic cultures, according to Science Direct. Both food and drinks with probiotic cultures can benefit the body in various ways, including apparently helping to prevent memory loss.

A recent study that appeared in Nutritional Neuroscience took a look at adults who were between the ages of 25 and 45 years old and were asked to regularly consume a "dairy-based fermented beverage." Each drink contained "25–30 billion colony forming units of live and active kefir cultures."

In the end, the researchers found that drinking a fermented dairy beverage "increase[s] the presence of certain microorganisms in the gut and improve[s] relational memory in healthy adults."

"It's not surprising that the study determined that the consumption of fermented milk beverages, containing probiotics, had positive impacts on brain function, like memory. Because of our gut-brain axis connection, our gut microbiome and nervous system influence each other a lot in both positive and negative ways," Paulina Lee, MS, RD, LD, functional dietitian and founder of Savvy Stummy, LLC, tells Eat This, Not That!. "Our brain and gut have this way of talking with each other and changes in the gut's microbiome can affect the modulation of the gut-brain axis, which can result in behavioral and cognitive alterations."

Often when our gut has an imbalance of healthy gut bacteria, it can leaf to negative effects on our brain health and moods, Lee also notes.

"An imbalanced intestine can send signals to the brain just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut," Lee says. "When we consume probiotic and prebiotic foods, we bring diversity to our microbiome to balance the healthy gut bacteria to keep our guts and brain happy."

If you want to add a fermented dairy beverage into your diet, Lee says that "you could drink a half to one cup of kefir daily." However, Lee adds that "drinking too much could have several side effects, including digestive issues. Therefore, it's best to enjoy kefir in moderation to pair with your balanced, healthy diet while mixing it up with other fermented foods, like kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, and miso. It's also important to add in different probiotic foods because they can help balance your gut microbiome and provide more friendly gut bacteria diversity."

To find out more about beneficial beverages, be sure to read 11 Best Probiotic Drinks For Gut Health (And The 3 You Should Avoid).