Researchers estimated that multivitamins improved memory by 3.1 years. In other words, the multivitamin group performed as if he was 3.1 years younger in terms of memory function.
The findings of the study are “remarkable,” said co-author Dr. Joan Manson, Head of Brigham’s Preventive Medicine Division.
The study used Centrum Silver, a commonly available multivitamin, but “we think any high-quality multivitamin will likely give similar results,” Manson says. told the Washington Post.
Manson is co-leader of the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) study and has published two clinical trials testing the effects of multivitamins on cognitive function. The results of other tests are It was published last year in the journal Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia..again linked multivitamin It helps improve memory function.
“Most seniors are concerned about memory changes as they age. Our study suggests that multivitamin supplementation may be an easy and inexpensive way to slow memory loss for older adults.” It suggests that,” Columbia University researcher Lokkin Yong, who co-led the study described in the latest paper, told the Brigham. statement.
The researchers found that immediate word recall improved, but multivitamin use “did not significantly affect memory retention, executive function, or recognition of new objects,” the study notes. there is
The researchers also acknowledged that more research is needed on how multivitamins work.
“Our study provides evidence that multivitamin supplements have cognitive benefits, but the underlying mechanisms mediating this effect and the specific essential nutrients required for cognitive aging remain unclear.” We don’t provide any information,” the study said.
The researchers also cautioned that participants had to have a computer, computer skills, and an internet connection, and that “it consisted of more highly educated, mostly white participants.” Therefore, our findings may not be generalizable to educationally and racially/ethnically diverse populations. ”
Bonnie F. Liebman, director of nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, said the results were encouraging.
“Unlike many claims on vitamin labels such as ‘supports memory’ or ‘supports the brain,’ these results are from randomized controlled trials, the gold standard of scientific evidence. ‘” Liebman said in a statement. “It is too early to be confident that multivitamins will reduce normal age-related memory loss, much less dementia. It’s worth considering taking a daily multivitamin to help you get
Andrew Budson, professor of neurology at Boston University and director of cognitive-behavioral neurology at the VA Boston Health Care System, called the study “groundbreaking.”
Low levels of vitamins B12, D, and B1, also known as thiamine, are associated with cognitive decline, he said. “It’s very interesting that a simple multivitamin can slow cognitive decline during normal aging, because it’s something that almost everyone can do,” said the study. was not involved, Budson told the Post.
Paul E. Schultz, professor of neurology and director of the Center for Neurocognitive Disorders at UT Health Houston’s McGovern School of Medicine, said the brain needs large amounts of vitamins and minerals to function properly.
“Think of a complex engine that requires a lot of specialized parts and needs all of them,” Schultz said. Schultz was also not involved in the study. “We regularly see people who are deficient in these and who are cognitively impaired.”
Mayo Clinic nutrition expert Donald Hensrud, who was not involved in the study, said, “This is probably the best evidence for taking a multivitamin.”
“Randomized controlled trials, good studies,” he said.
The research was supported by grants from Mars Edge, a division of Mars, and the National Institutes of Health, according to Brigham and Women’s magazine. Multivitamin and placebo tablets and packaging were donated by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare (now Haleon).
Multivitamins are already popular with older Americans. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 39 percent of adults over the age of 60 consume them. National multivitamins and multivitamins with minerals totaled about $8 billion in sales in 2020, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Materials from Grove Wire Service were used in this report.
Martin Finucane can be reached at [email protected].
