R esearch suggests that the popular herb ginkgo biloba is moderately beneficial in cases of Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.

But there is little indication that ginkgo -- or any other herbal or nutritional supplement -- boosts mental function in individuals who are healthy.

Here, memory expert Dr. Cynthia Green shares her strategies for boosting memory and mental function as you grow older...

Make a conscious effort to remember. The brain sorts information by routing it to short-term memory and then discarding it or storing it in long-term memory.

Memories held in short-term storage are fleeting. Unless you make a conscious effort to remember new events, names, etc., they won't make the transition to long-term storage.

Suppose you're meeting someone for the first time. You may be a bit anxious about making a good impression. If so, you're probably not paying close attention to the person... and you're likely to forget his/her name the instant you hear it.

Better approach: Run the name through your mind several times as soon as you hear it. Repeat it aloud to the person. Also -- once it's convenient to do so, you might even jot the name down on a piece of paper.

This process of focusing will help shift the information from short-term to long-term storage.

Give meaning to information you would like to remember. It's easier to recall new information if you embed it with meaning. There are several ways to do this...

Chunking. This involves grouping different bits of information into manageable -- and meaningful -- groupings.

Consider telephone numbers. They're easy to remember because they're written in chunks. There are three digits for the area code, three for the exchange and four final digits. Remembering an "unchunked" 10-digit number is much more difficult.

Chunking can be used for any number. You can also chunk information in lists. For instance, you might try mentally categorizing the items on a shopping list -- produce, cleaning supplies, grain products, etc. That should make it easy to remember them.

Mental images. Information is easier to remember if you create a mental image to go along with it.

Suppose you meet someone named Chris. You might envision a Christmas tree as a way of giving the name meaning. If you meet a Laura, you might think of a laurel leaf.

Connections. Grammar school pupils are taught to spell "principal" by mentally connecting it with the word "pal." You can form analogous links for almost any new bit of information.

Say you've been assigned to locker number 84 at your health club. To remember your place, consciously take the time to connect it with something already stored in your long-term memory -- Orwell's classic novel 1984, for instance.

Commit information to writing. Date books, calendars and electronic organizers are invaluable memory tools. If you use one, make it a point to consult it at the same time each morning and evening -- to make sure things aren't overlooked.

Often, the mere act of writing something down makes it easier to recall -- even if you never refer back to what you've written. Of course, if you do forget, you'll have a written record.

Create "forget-me-not" spots. To keep track of car keys, wallets, sunglasses and other easily misplaced items, choose a special spot in your home where you'll always put them.

Examples: Bowl on a tabletop... kitchen drawer... drawer near the door.

Forget-me-not spots can also be used to hold your to-do lists, letters to be mailed, videotapes to be returned and receipts.

Talk to your doctor about your medications. Memory can be disrupted by certain common medications, including the heartburn drug cimetidine (Tagamet) and the antianxiety drug diazepam (Valium).

In many cases, memory trouble can be minimized simply by changing to a different drug or lowering the dosage. Ask your doctor if taking numerous drugs (polypharmacy) is affecting your memory.