British scientists recently reported on a small study that showed a common plant may improve memory, especially in those with Alzheimer's disease.
Presenting their research at a recent meeting of the British Pyschological Society, the researchers from Northumbria University said that high doses of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) improved memory and led to greater feelings of calmness in 20 volunteers.
They reported that the lemon balm increases the activity of acetylcholine - an important chemical messenger which is reduced in people with Alzheimer's disease.
Dr Andrew Scholey and Dr David Kennedy from Northumbria University in Newcastle, England also tested other natural remedies. The authors found that volunteers who drank a mixture containing caffeine and glucose (as well as trace levels of guarana, ginkgo and ginseng) showed clear improvements in memory and attention. Those who consumed the individual ingredients, or a placebo, did not show such improvements.
Dr Andrew Scholey said: "Our results show that interventions which have been identified by traditional systems of medicine, or simply through anecdote, as helping mental function may really work. They also fly in the face of the given wisdom that the human brain functions optimally at all times. Our challenge is to see if these kinds of effects can benefit individuals whose memory is fragile."
The research was presented at the British Psychological Society annual conference in Bournemouth, UK on 13 March.