Multivitamin/mineral supplements may help improve certain aspects of memory in older adults, according to a well-designed clinical trial published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in July. Millions of people take a multivitamin every day, yet there’s no consensus about many of their claimed benefits, and results of past studies have tended to be disappointing overall.
The study, known as COSMOS-Web, randomly assigned 3,562 older adults (all over age 60) to receive either a daily multivitamin/mineral pill or a placebo for three years while annually undergoing a battery of neuropsychological tests.
Both groups improved their scores over their baseline performance on an “immediate recall” memory test as they became familiar with the testing process, which asked participants to summon up as many words as they could after briefly seeing them on a computer screen. But at the end of year one, those taking the multivitamin performed significantly better compared with those taking the placebo.
And “over the three years of follow-up, the multivitamin group sustained their initial improvement,” according to Adam Brickman, Ph.D., professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and one of the authors of the study. No significant differences were seen between the two groups on other types of cognitive tests, however, including memory retention and executive functions.
Evidence from a related study called COSMOS-Mind, which was carried out with more than 2,000 participants, first suggested that multivitamin supplements might positively affect cognition.
Of note, COSMOS-Web assessed the kind of normal age-related memory changes typically seen among seniors—not the cognitive changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Also, the participants were more highly educated and mostly white, so the findings may not generalize to a more diverse population.
The study builds on evidence that a healthful diet can help explain some of the differences seen in patterns of normal aging. But “a multivitamin shouldn’t be considered a substitute for a nutrient-rich diet,” notes Dr. Brickman. “Nobody thinks we should be getting our primary vitamins and other nutrients from supplements.” He adds that if you are considering a multivitamin, you should consult your physician to ensure it will not interfere with any medications you are taking.
BOTTOM LINE: Though a standard multivitamin/mineral supplement shouldn’t take the place of healthy eating, it can at times help fill in some nutrient gaps in your diet. But if you take one, don’t expect a miracle memory boost. The improvements that occurred in the study were modest and not always even noticeable to participants.
