3 Plants to Boost Memory and Concentration

For any reason—momentary fatigue or recurring difficulties—it’s useful to know these memory- and concentration-boosting plants.

How to Focus: Three Plants for Memory and Concentration

If aromatherapy can be a solution via an essential oil for focus, it comes with two drawbacks. First, there are precautions and usage restrictions for essential oils. These restrictions exist in phytotherapy but they are often less stringent. The second drawback is that aromatherapy acts mainly by stimulating the body, whereas plants for memory and concentration tend to have a more direct action. Here’s a rundown. Note that regardless of the plant, the mother tincture is often recommended for ease of dosing and absorption.

Ginkgo, the Star of Concentration

Ginkgo biloba is an ancient tree whose medicinal virtues in phytotherapy are continually highlighted. Several studies have shown concrete results in people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with or without hyperactivity, affecting several characteristics of the condition including attentional capacities. This has also had consequences for anxiety and stress, common comorbidities with ADHD. These studies remain limited, but ginkgo already showed efficacy superior to placebo, though lower than methylphenidate commonly used (Ritalin among others).

Other studies have also looked at the benefits on memory and concentration in a middle-aged population. Equally interesting, people without particular deficits saw improvements in their cognitive abilities during long tasks requiring intense concentration. This is why the World Health Organization recognizes the use of standardized extracts of Ginkgo biloba leaves for the prevention of dementia, memory loss, and concentration problems, particularly the extracts EGb761 and Li 1370.

The Ginseng, Especially Effective for Staying Focused

Ginseng has many virtues, and it is notably a plant particularly good for physical and mental fatigue. There are several varieties, with the most common in phytotherapy being Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, a name whose etymology points to the idea of universal healing.

A remedy to focus?

However, studies are fewer and less reliable than for gingko to date. A 2009 study attempted to determine the action of Panax ginseng on people with ADHD but with a sample size too limited to draw broad conclusions, something a Korean study tried to address by examining the impact of red ginseng on children and adolescents in 2011, followed by a pilot study in 2020.

Despite these limited samples, Ginseng continues to be studied, and effects induced by ginsenosides on the central nervous system have already been noted, results that need to be confirmed, with some studies now trying to determine whether the combined action of ginseng and gingko might be even more effective. More controversial are the memory benefits of ginseng again due to sampling. Beyond mother tincture, ginseng is commonly used as a decoction or in capsules.

Green Tea for Memory and Staying Focused

While sample sizes vary, studies on green tea are more numerous and it is among memory-supporting plants.

Drinking green tea to focus and better retain information

At the heart of the studies is an amino acid, theanine. If caffeine is controversial in ADHD and concentration issues, the caffeine contained in green tea would act as an effective catalyst for theanine on mild memory losses and concentration. The studies have shown that it is indeed the combination of the two that acts on concentration and working memory.

However, the studies on long-term memory are not currently regarded as sufficiently developed.