A report published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that multivitamins can help slow down forgetfulness that comes with aging. The study that formed the basis of the report enrolled over 3,500 participants who were either given a Centrum Silver pill or a placebo for a period of 3 years. At the end of the study, researchers discovered that those participants who had been given the multivitamin had better memories than those who received a placebo treatment.
According to Howard Sesso, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and study co-author, the reason why this particular brand of multivitamins was chosen was that it is commonly used in the U.S. and has a good quality and safety record. Additionally, it had also been used in a previous study, although it did not yield any positive cognitive results there.
Researchers were able to find participants for the study from among the approximately 22,000 participants enrolled in the Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS). COSMOS is a multiyear study set up to study the effects of cocoa supplements and multivitamins on the risk of cardiovascular events, cancer, and cognitive behavior.
Studying Multivitamins’ Impact on Memory Loss:
Study design:
- Conducted web-based test to assess participants’ memories at the beginning
- Follow-up tests after 1 year and 3 years
Treatment groups:
- Centrum Silver pill group
- Placebo group
Results:
- Centrum Silver group showed improved memory performance
- Equivalent to a 3.1-year improvement compared to a placebo
- Evaluated based on participants’ ability to reproduce a list of words immediately after reading it
Researchers, however, are not yet sure exactly which ingredient of the multivitamin is responsible for this. The ingredients in question include zinc and vitamins A, B, and C. Researchers are also unsure if other brands of multivitamins will be able to produce similar results.
Dr. Paul Newhouse, director of the Vanderbilt Center for Cognitive Medicine, has said that considering the fact that the effect of the drug is so small, it is possible for individuals to not notice any improvement at all. He also highlighted an interesting finding of the study, which is that neither group in the study showed a decline in cognition.
After the COSMOS-Mind trial, which revealed that taking daily multivitamins was associated with a 60% slowing of cognitive aging globally, this is the second large study to prove the cognitive benefit of taking multivitamins.
The general consensus is also that longer studies are still required so that the effect of the pill can be observed in all types of patients. The participants in this study were all college graduates or had attended college. It is possible that when tested among other groups of people, the drug might not show positive results.
