New Research Suggests Multivitamins May Slow Cognitive Decline in Aging
New Mass General Brigham study in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows daily multivitamins may slow cognitive aging, enhancing memory in over-60s.
A groundbreaking study from Mass General Brigham, recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, has brought new hope in the battle against cognitive decline associated with aging. This study, forming the third part of the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS), suggests that taking a daily multivitamin could be a key factor in preserving cognitive health as we age.
The initial phases of the COSMOS study utilized telephone-based and online cognitive assessments to explore the impact of multivitamins on cognition. Building on this foundation, the latest segment of the research involved in-person cognitive assessments of 573 participants. The findings were particularly significant for individuals aged 60 and above. Those who regularly took a Centrum Silver multivitamin exhibited a notably slower rate of cognitive decline compared to those who were given a placebo.
Digging deeper, the researchers uncovered a modest yet meaningful benefit of multivitamins on overall global cognition over a span of two years. More impressively, a statistically significant advantage was noted in the area of episodic memory. However, the study did not find a similarly significant impact on executive function or attention.
To reinforce these findings, the team conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of the three non-overlapping participant groups within the COSMOS study. The cumulative data provided robust evidence supporting the positive effects of daily multivitamin use on global cognition and episodic memory. One of the most striking conclusions was that daily multivitamin intake could potentially slow the aging of global cognitive functions by an equivalent of two years when compared to a placebo.
Discovering that a daily multivitamin can enhance memory and decelerate cognitive aging, as evidenced in three distinct placebo-controlled trials within the COSMOS study, is truly thrilling. It underscores the potential of multivitamins as a viable, widely available, and cost-effective strategy to safeguard cognitive health.
