A Multivitamin A Day Could Protect The Brain

1 min

By 2060, nearly one in four Americans will be at an elevated risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. The good news: Results from a recent investigation by Mass General Brigham researchers suggest that a daily multivitamin might help protect against cognitive decline. The researchers reviewed data on 573 people who were part of the larger COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS), which involves over 5,000 participants ages 60 and older across the U.S.

The 573 people in this subset underwent in-person cognitive assessments; those who took a daily multivitamin supplement experienced modest benefits in memory, compared with those who took a placebo pill. The researchers also conducted a meta-analysis of three previous studies that used data from COSMOS. They found that there was strong evidence to support the benefits of a daily multivitamin on memory and cognition. Overall, the results suggest that a daily multivitamin can slow global cognitive aging by approximately two years compared to a placebo. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind these benefits, considering factors such as nutritional status and other aging-related factors.

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