- In a new study, researchers say daily multivitamins appear to slow cognitive aging and improve memory in older adults.
- Experts explain that daily vitamins can improve a person’s overall health and gut microbiome, which can lead to better cognitive skills.
- They add that more research is needed to confirm these findings and to determine which specific vitamins are most effective.
Taking a multivitamin daily seems to improve both memory and overall cognition in older adults, according to a study published today in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The research, which was funded in part by the food and supplements manufacturer Mars Inc., was led by Chirag Vyas, an instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.
In it, researchers analyzed data on 573 individuals who were part of a larger study called the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) and also were involvded in an in-clinic study of possible links between multivitamin supplements and cognitive benefits.
The researchers reported that people who took multivitamins experienced a modest benefit in global cognition over a two-year period compared to a control group that was given a placebo.
The vitamin group also saw significant improvement in episodic memory but not in executive function and attention, the researchers said.
Vyas and his colleagues also conducted a meta-analysis of three related studies drawn from COSMOS: the new in-clinic study and two previous studies that used telephone and online-based cognitive assessments.
The analysis showed “strong evidence” of benefits for both global cognition and episodic memory, according to the study authors, who estimated that daily multivitamin use slowed global cognitive aging by the equivalent of two years compared to a placebo.
“Cognitive decline is among the top health concerns for most older adults and a daily supplement of multivitamins has the potential as an appealing and accessible approach to slow…
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