Taking
a daily multivitamin may improve memory and slow cognitive decline in
older adults, according to a third major study on the topic. The studies
used data from the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study
(COSMOS), which evaluated whether cocoa extract supplementation with and
without a standard multivitamin affected the risk of developing
cardiovascular disease and cancer.
While
the study, which involved 21,442 participants, found cocoa flavanol
supplementation did not show a significant impact in reducing the total
number of cardiovascular events, further evaluation revealed daily
multivitamins potentially reduced lung cancer by 38% and “did appear to
improve levels of several nutritional biomarkers.”
Three
additional studies using subsets of COSMOS data focused on cognitive
benefits, with the latest showing those taking multivitamins perform
better on cognitive and memory tests.
COSMOS-Mind — Multivitamins Linked to Slower Cognitive Decline
The
COSMOS-Mind study involved 2,262 participants with a mean age of 73 and
looked at how taking cocoa extract or multivitamins and minerals (MVM)
for three years affected brain function. Researchers called participants
to test their thinking skills at the start of the study and then
annually.
They
measured overall brain function by looking at average scores from
different tests, including memory and problem-solving activities. While
the study found that cocoa extract didn't make a difference in overall
brain function, significant benefits were found from the daily
multivitamin, with three years of such supplementation translating to a
60% slowing of cognitive decline, which is equivalent to about 1.8
years.
Improvements
in global cognition, episodic memory and executive function were noted,
with the effects most pronounced in people with cardiovascular disease.
According to the study, which was published in the journal Alzheimer’s
& Dementia:
“COSMOS-Mind
provides the first evidence from a large-scale, long-term, pragmatic
RCT [randomized controlled trial] to suggest that daily use of a safe,
readily accessible, and relatively low-cost MVM supplement has the
potential to improve or protect cognitive function for older women and
men.
An
additional trial is needed to confirm these findings in a more
representative cohort and to explore potential mechanisms for cognitive
benefit. This work may ultimately have important public health
implications for standard of care to improve or protect cognitive
function in older adults.”
COSMOS-Web — Multivitamins May Improve Memory in Those 60 and Over
The
second study, COSMOS-Web, included men over the age of 60 and women
over 65 who received either a multivitamin supplement or a placebo. The
participants were evaluated at baseline and each year using
neuropsychological tests over a period of three years.
Those
taking the multivitamin supplement had better immediate recall at the
first year point, which was maintained during follow-up. Effects were
most pronounced in people with cardiovascular disease.
"When
we start seeing that kind of consistency across well-designed studies,
it certainly helps convince me — the ultimate skeptic — that we're on to
something real," professor Adam Brickman of Columbia University, who
worked on the first study, told Insider. "... I started taking
multivitamins the day we ran the analyses and saw the results, and I
take 'em every morning."
“There
is evidence that people with cardiovascular disease may have lower
micronutrient levels that multivitamins may correct, but we don’t really
know right now why the effect is stronger in this group,” Brickman
said.
The
researchers estimated that taking a multivitamin improved performance
by "the equivalent of 3.1 years of age-related memory change" compared
to placebo and could not only help maintain cognitive functioning but
potentially enhance it later in life. The team concluded:
“Vitamin
supplementation is relatively inexpensive, accessible, and has a few
adverse effects, and thus might be a potentially useful population
health intervention ... Daily multivitamin supplementation, compared
with placebo, improves memory in older adults. Multivitamin
supplementation holds promise as a safe and accessible approach to
maintaining cognitive health in older age.”
COSMOS-Clinic — Multivitamins Improve Memory and Slow Cognitive Aging
The
third study, COSMOS-Clinic, analyzed the effects of a daily
multivitamin supplement on cognitive changes based on in-person visits
involving 573 people. It, too, found multivitamins had a positive impact
on overall brain function over two years when compared to a placebo.
Specifically, they found a significant improvement in memory of past
events, but not in the ability to plan or pay attention.
The
researchers, from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical
School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, also conducted a
meta-analysis involving all three COSMOS studies, without repeating
participants and spanning two to three years of taking multivitamins.
The
meta-analysis “showed strong evidence of benefits for both global
cognition and episodic memory,” according to a press release. “The
authors estimate that the daily multivitamin slowed global cognitive
aging by the equivalent of two years compared to placebo.” Study author
Chirag Vyas with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), said:
“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 cognitive aging ... The meta-analysis of
three separate cognition studies provides strong and consistent evidence
that taking a daily multivitamin, containing more than 20 essential
micronutrients, helps prevent memory loss and slow down cognitive aging.
These
findings will garner attention among many older adults who are,
understandably, very interested in ways to preserve brain health, as
they provide evidence for the role of a daily multivitamin in supporting
better cognitive aging.”
Since
the three trials used varied methods to assess cognition — including
telephone, online and in-person assessments — and involved a large
number of participants, they provide convincing evidence for the
positive role of multivitamins in healthy brain aging. Study author
Howard Sesso, with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, added:
“With
these three studies using different approaches for assessing cognition
in COSMOS, each providing support for a daily multivitamin, it is now
critical to understand the mechanisms by which a daily multivitamin may
protect against memory loss and cognitive decline with a focus on
nutritional status and other aging-related factors.
For
example, the modifying role of baseline nutritional status on
protecting against cognitive decline has been shown for the COSMOS cocoa
extract intervention. A typical multivitamin such as that tested in
COSMOS contains many essential vitamins and minerals that could explain
its potential benefits.”
Multivitamins Improve Biomarkers of Nutrition in Men Aged 68 and Over
It’s
estimated that one-third of U.S. adults — and one-quarter of children
and adolescents — use multivitamin and mineral supplements, making them
one of the most common supplements in the U.S. But despite their
popularity, many wonder whether taking multivitamins really makes a
difference in health.
A
team of researchers from Oregon State University (OSU), who conducted a
study involving 35 men aged 68 years or older, concluded, “Our evidence
indicates that many older men could benefit from a daily multivitamin.”
The
men took either a multivitamin/multimineral (MV/MM) supplement or a
placebo for at least six months. The researchers were mainly looking to
see if the supplements would change levels of certain nutrients in their
blood, a sign of better vitamin and mineral status. They also wanted to
see if these supplements would affect how cells use oxygen, which is
important for energy and health.
Those
who took the MV/MM supplements saw improvements in their blood levels
of certain vitamins, such as B6, vitamin D, vitamin E and beta-carotene,
showing that the supplements could indeed boost the amount of these
nutrients in the body.
However,
the supplements didn't make a significant difference in the levels of
minerals like calcium and zinc. Interestingly, the supplements helped
prevent a decrease in the rate at which certain immune cells used
oxygen, which could be a good sign for overall health, particularly for
metabolism and the immune system.
In
contrast, the placebo group didn't see these benefits and even saw a
drop in some vitamin levels, suggesting they were moving toward a less
optimal vitamin status. While vitamin and mineral deficiencies weren’t
widespread in the healthy subjects that took part in the study, the
researchers still found multivitamins to be worthwhile, explaining:
“[T]he
use of MV/MM supplements can improve or prevent declines in the status
of several vitamins and may prevent declines in cellular bioenergetic
status. Although MV/MM supplementation is a ‘one-size-fits-all’ strategy
and does not target specific micronutrient needs, it is a
cost-effective approach to improve micronutrient status in older men and
may have an as yet unappreciated impact on maintaining metabolic
function in cells.”
Can You Get Enough Vitamins and Minerals From Food Alone?
Ideally,
people of all ages should strive to get their nutrition from whole,
nutrient-dense foods — and it’s certainly possible to get the vitamins
and minerals your body requires via your diet. However, nutrient
deficiencies are common, even among people who believe they’re eating a
balanced diet. In the U.S., 31% of the U.S. population was found to be
at risk of at least one vitamin deficiency or anemia.
Beyond
cognitive function, your body depends on essential nutrients for growth,
development and health maintenance, and deficiencies in certain
vitamins can impact your immunity, vision, wound healing, bone health
and much more.
This is
why, if you think you may be missing out on important vitamins in your
diet, the best way to boost your intake is via organic, whole foods. But
if you’re not eating right, a high-quality multivitamin may help fill
in any gaps and improve biomarkers of nutrition.
"We're not
suggesting that people should get their vitamin and nutrient intake
from supplements — the primary source of that should be from whole and
healthy foods," Brickman told Insider. “... I think that multivitamins,
along with a lot of other things that we could potentially do as we age,
might have a modest but meaningful effect on how we age, cognitively.”
He added
in a news release, “Supplementation of any kind shouldn’t take the place
of more holistic ways of getting the same micronutrients.” When
choosing a multivitamin, be sure to look for a manufacturer that has
checks and balances in place to ensure the quality of the product.
And
remember, since multivitamins contain both water- and fat-soluble
vitamins, it’s generally recommended to take half your daily dose in the
morning, with breakfast, and the other half with your main meal.