## Study suggests daily multivitamin could improve memory in older adults
A recent study from Columbia University in New York and Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard in Boston suggests that adults over age 60 who want to stave off memory loss could benefit from taking a daily multivitamin supplement. The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that daily multivitamin supplementation improved memory in older adults after one year, an effect that was sustained, on average, over the three years of follow-up.
### The study details
– Over 3,500 adults over age 60 were randomly assigned to take either a daily multivitamin or a placebo for a three-year period.
– At the end of each year, the participants completed self-administered cognitive tests to determine the strength of their memory.
– After the first year, those taking the multivitamin showed memory improvement compared to the placebo group — an effect that continued over the entire course of the study.
### Limitations of the study
– The effects of the multivitamin were seen only in certain aspects of memory.
– The study participants were predominantly White with high education, and therefore not representative of the U.S. population.
– The participants were in generally good health without heart disease, cancer, or history of stroke.
### Benefits of multivitamins
– Multivitamins may help preserve cognitive function.
– Large review studies suggest that B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and zinc are most relevant to cognitive performance.
– The compounds resveratrol, quercetin, and curcumin may all have benefit in preserving cognition into later life.
– Vitamin D deficiency is linked to worse cognition in later life, while omega-3 fatty acid intake has been shown to aid in memory and cognitive function.
### Doctor input is key
– Older adults who are considering taking a daily multivitamin should talk to their physicians about whether supplementation is appropriate for them.
– Particularly for adults who are already taking other supplements, it’s important to check with a doctor before adding a multivitamin to the mix.
– Too many vitamins could cause “toxicity and a potential overdose.”
– The contents of the pills are pretty tightly controlled, so it’s recommended to go with a high-quality Centrum brand-name multivitamin.
