A recent study conducted by Wake Forest University School of Medicine in collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston explored the potential benefits of daily multivitamin supplementation on cognitive health in older adults.
The study aimed to investigate whether taking a daily multivitamin could help maintain cognitive function in seniors and potentially prevent cognitive decline.
Cognitive decline is a significant concern for aging populations, with millions of Americans affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Finding safe and affordable interventions to protect cognitive health in older adults is of utmost importance.
The study, known as the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study for the Mind (COSMOS-Mind), was a part of the larger COSMOS trial.
The COSMOS trial involved over 21,000 participants from across the United States and sought to determine if taking daily supplements, including a cocoa extract supplement and a multivitamin-mineral supplement, could reduce the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other health issues.
The researchers chose to investigate the potential cognitive benefits of these supplements because past research had suggested that cocoa extract, which is rich in compounds called flavanols, might positively impact cognitive function.
Additionally, they recognized the importance of micronutrients and minerals in supporting overall body and brain function, especially in older adults, where deficiencies in these nutrients could contribute to cognitive decline and dementia.
Over 2,200 participants, all aged 65 or older, were enrolled in the COSMOS-Mind study and followed for three years. They underwent cognitive assessments at the beginning of the study and annually thereafter to evaluate memory and other cognitive abilities.
The findings revealed that daily cocoa extract supplementation did not have a significant effect on cognition in older adults. However, the study yielded more promising results concerning daily multivitamin-mineral supplementation.
Participants who took the daily multivitamin-mineral supplement experienced statistically significant cognitive improvement.
These findings were particularly encouraging because they suggested that taking a multivitamin could potentially slow down cognitive decline by approximately 60% over three years, which translates to delaying cognitive decline by about 1.8 years.
Interestingly, the benefits of multivitamin supplementation were more pronounced in participants who had significant cardiovascular disease.
This is significant because individuals with cardiovascular issues are already at an increased risk of cognitive impairment and decline.
Despite these promising preliminary findings, the researchers caution against recommending daily multivitamin supplementation for preventing cognitive decline at this stage.
They emphasize the need for further research involving a larger and more diverse group of people to confirm these results.
Additionally, there is still much work to be done to understand why multivitamins might benefit cognitive function in older adults fully.
While these findings offer hope for preserving cognitive health in seniors, more research is needed to establish concrete recommendations for maintaining and improving cognitive function as people age.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and blueberry supplements may prevent cognitive decline.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about antioxidants that could help reduce dementia risk, and Coconut oil could help improve cognitive function in Alzheimer’s.
The research findings can be found in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
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