Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd
Blue Sky Offices Shoreham, 25 Cecil Pashley Way, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5FF, UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44 (0)1273 434 943
Email: [email protected]
Older adults may be able to slow cognitive decline by taking daily multivitamin supplements, according to a large US study.
The study, which was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, also looked at whether daily use of a cocoa extract supplement benefitted cognition, but found no evidence to support this.
The researchers say further studies will need to be undertaken to confirm the findings before any health recommendations are made.
Taking multivitamins for three years slowed cognitive decline by nearly two years
More than 2,200 participants aged 65 and over were involved in the studied; these participants were followed up over a three-year period.
The participants’ memory and cognitive ability were tested over the phone at baseline; they were then re-evaluated annually.
The researchers estimated that three years of multivitamin supplementation roughly translated to a 60% slowing of cognitive decline (about 1.8 years).
The benefits were relatively more pronounced in participants with significant cardiovascular disease, which is important because these individuals are already at increased risk for cognitive impairment and decline.
Laura D. Baker, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and co-principal investigator of the trial said the results could be explained by the fact that several micronutrients and minerals are needed to support normal body and brain function. Deficiencies in older adults may therefore increase the risk for cognitive decline and dementia.
Further research necessary
However, cocoa extract supplements, (which are rich in compounds called flavanols, and have been previously linked to improved cognition) did not appear to affect cognition.
Prof. Baker said more work will need to be done before daily multivitamin supplementation is recommended to prevent cognitive decline.
She said: “While these preliminary findings are promising, additional research is needed in a larger and more diverse group of people. Also, we still have work to do to better understand why the multivitamin might benefit cognition in older adults.”
