For the first time in a large, randomized controlled trial, a daily multivitamin was shown to improve cognition, memory, and executive function in older adults.
In the study, recently published in The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, 2262 people (average age 73 years old) took either a commercial multivitamin-mineral, a cocoa extract, or a placebo daily over a period of 3 years.
The results showed that daily multivitamin supplementation had a statistically significant benefit on global cognition, with the effect being most pronounced in people with a history of cardiovascular disease. Episodic memory and executive functioning also improved in the multivitamin group.
The researchers found that taking a multivitamin daily for 3 years slowed aging by 1.8 years, or by 60%.
Interestingly, the cocoa extract did not significantly affect cognition in this study. The flavonols in cocoa are often touted as brain-boosters, but that wasn’t seen in this case.
The multivitamin used in the study was Centrum Silver, which is readily accessible, safe, and inexpensive. Presumably any quality multivitamin from a trustworthy brand would deliver similar results.
