Cut From Steel

HE LOST HIS NAME. HE KEPT HIS SKILLS.

Jason Bourne opens his eyes on a fishing boat in the Mediterranean. Italian fishermen have pulled him out of the sea with two bullets in his back. He has no idea who he is.

The crew finds a tiny laser projector implanted in his hip. Bourne shines it on the wall and reads a number for a safe deposit box in Zurich. That number is the only clue he has.

Matt Damon played the part in The Bourne Identity in 2002. Bourne speaks several languages without remembering how he learned them. The film follows a man rebuilding himself from scraps. In a Zurich park, two police officers try to move him along. Bourne takes them both down before he even knows he can fight.

Sitting in a diner later, Bourne lists what he notices without trying. He can recall the license plates of all six cars outside. The waitress, he says, is left-handed. Yet his own name is still missing.

Bourne lost his memory to a bullet. Yours may be slipping for a much smaller reason. A missing name is a clue, not a verdict. Bourne followed his clue across Europe. You can follow yours with one blood test, and you will not need a passport.

Forgot a Name Again? Look in Your Kitchen First.

You can’t find your keys. A name you have known for years is right there, and it won’t come out.

Most men file that under getting older. Memory researchers at the University of New Mexico point somewhere else: one everyday kitchen habit they say to stop right away.

It is one small change. According to the researchers, it can strengthen your memory and sharpen your focus, starting today.

More than 47,000 people have already made this simple change.

Helen K. from Denver put it plainly: “I thought memory loss was just aging. Turns out I was wrong — and so was my doctor.”

==> See the kitchen habit memory researchers say to stop

THE NAME ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE

You run into a man at the hardware store you have known for twenty years. His wife, his dog, and his truck all come to mind. The name never shows up. You laugh it off and tell yourself this is what 58 feels like.

You may have noticed other things too. Walking into a room, you forget why you came. Halfway through a story, you lose the thread.

I am not going to tell you every slip means something. Some forgetting is normal at any age. Still, one common and fixable cause gets missed in men our age, and it is worth ruling out.

IT'S NOT AGE. IT MAY BE B12.

You need vitamin B12 for healthy nerves and healthy blood. Your body cannot make it, so it has to come from food. Three things make it harder to get after 50.

01 / Your stomach changes

You absorb B12 with the help of stomach acid and a protein called intrinsic factor. A condition called atrophic gastritis cuts both. The National Institutes of Health says it affects about 8 to 9 percent of adults over 65. That is why the NIH says people over 50 should get most of their B12 from fortified foods or supplements.

02 / Your pills may block it

Metformin, the most common diabetes drug, may reduce B12 absorption. Acid reducers can interfere too, including omeprazole and other heartburn pills. You may have taken one of these for years without anyone checking your level.

03 / The signs look like getting old

Low B12 has been linked to poor memory, confusion, fatigue, and balance trouble. Some men notice numb or tingling hands and feet. About 21 percent of adults over 60 show at least one abnormal B12 marker, according to the NIH. The NIH says early diagnosis matters to avoid nerve damage that may not reverse. In other words, waiting has a cost.

RULE IT OUT THIS MONTH

You can ask your doctor for a B12 blood test at your next visit. Mention it if you take metformin or a daily heartburn pill. If the result is borderline, ask about a methylmalonic acid test. The NIH calls it the most sensitive marker. Your doctor may also run a basic blood count, since low B12 can affect red blood cells.

You should not stop metformin or a heartburn pill on your own, though. Those drugs do real work. The point is to check your B12 while you take them, not to quit them.

You can also look at your plate. B12 comes from fish, meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy. Clams and beef liver are among the richest sources. Plant foods have none unless they are fortified.

I would get the number before buying anything. Only a test can tell you whether there is a problem. A bottle just tells you somebody wanted a sale.

One last thing. That missing name may have nothing to do with your age. Find out before you accept it.

— Travis

Insider Member's Corner

6 free habits that keep the memory sharp:

You didn't put in 45 years to settle for beige.

01 / Car · BMW M3

BMW built the first M3 in 1986 as a race car you could drive to work. Today's version makes 473 to 503 horsepower, and all-wheel drive is available on the Competition. The 2026 model starts around $79,000. You will remember every drive in this one.

02 / Drink · Clase Azul Reposado

Clase Azul comes in a ceramic decanter hand-painted by Mexican artisans, so no two look alike. The tequila rests in oak for about eight months. Expect to pay roughly $150 to $200. Sip it neat and keep the bottle on the shelf when it is empty.

03 / Style · A Proper Cloth Made-to-Measure Shirt

Proper Cloth started in New York in 2008. You answer a fit survey online, and they cut the shirt to your measurements. Prices run from about $80 to $250. If the first one does not fit, they will alter or remake it free.