Daily Multivitamins Could Help Keep Seniors Mentally Sharp—and May Protect Against Dementia

A daily multivitamin helps maintain mental sharpness for people over 65 and may also protect against dementia.

The researchers estimated that supplementation for three years resulted in approximately a 60% slowdown in cognitive decline, which is equivalent to nearly two years of normal mental capacity.

There are currently about 5.6 million people with Alzheimer’s and related dementia in the United States. In Britain, the number is 900,000, but this is projected to rise to 1.6 million people by 2040.

The study was organized around a large cohort of 21,000 men and women in the United States to investigate whether taking a daily cocoa extract supplement or a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement reduces the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, cancer and other health outcomes. .

A smaller trial conducted in the same cohort was based on the idea that cocoa extract is rich in compounds called flavanols, and previous research suggests that the compounds may have a positive impact on cognition.

“There is an urgent need for safe and affordable interventions to protect cognition against decline in older adults,” said the study’s principal investigator, Professor Laura Baker.

He also explained that various micronutrients and minerals are needed to support normal body and brain function, and deficiencies in older adults can increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

in court the researchers tested whether daily administration of cocoa extract compared to placebo and multivitamin-mineral compared to placebo improved cognition in older adults.

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2,200 participants in the cohort aged 65 and older completed telephone tests initially and annually to assess memory and other cognitive abilities.

“Our study showed that although cocoa extract did not affect cognition, daily multivitamin and mineral supplementation resulted in statistically significant cognitive improvement,” added Dr. Baker, of Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

“This is the first evidence of cognitive benefit in a large, long-term study of multivitamin supplementation in older adults.”

The research team estimated that three years of multivitamin supplementation translated into approximately a 60% decrease in cognitive decline, which is equivalent to about 1.8 years of normal mental capacity.

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They said the benefits were relatively more pronounced in participants with “significant” cardiovascular disease, which is important because those people are already at higher risk of cognitive impairment and decline.

“It’s too early to recommend daily multivitamin supplementation to prevent cognitive decline,” he said.

“While these preliminary findings are promising, further research is needed in a larger and more diverse group of people.”

“In addition, we still have work to do to better understand why the multivitamin might benefit cognition in older adults.”

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