Daily use of a multivitamin could help with improvement of episodic memory.
That’s according to the latest findings of the Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) directed by researchers at Mass General Brigham, which was created to analyze the effects of cocoa extract and multivitamins on the development of health issues like heart disease, stroke, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
“Cognitive decline is among the top health concerns for most older adults, and a daily supplement of multivitamins has the potential as an appealing and accessible approach to slow cognitive aging,” First Author Chirag Vyasinstructor in investigation at the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in the press release.
In the study trial, researchers from Mass General Brigham tested daily multivitamin use with 573 participants, studying whether it affected cognitive decline. The results of that study showed there was a “modest benefit” of multivitamin usage compared with a placebo over two years. Two other preceding studies showed similar benefits of multivitamins on cognition.
Daily use of a multivitamin was linked to both global cognition and episodic memory improvements, according to Mass General Brigham. Use of the multivitamin did not affect executive function or attention, according to the researchers.
“These findings will garner attention among many older adults who are, understandably, very interested in ways to preserve brain health, as they provide evidence for the role of a daily multivitamin in supporting better cognitive aging,” said Dr. Olivia Okereke, senior author of the report and director of geriatric psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.
By 2060, one in four Americans will be in an age bracket putting them at an elevated risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease without interventions, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
