Multivitamin pills are often referred to as a waste of money, because according to several researchers there is no evidence that they actually have an effect on health.
But from to new research shows that daily supplements can have a surprising impact on your memory as you get older.
Originally another purpose
In the new study, the researchers followed nearly 2,300 Americans between the ages of 65 and 100 for three years.
The original goal was to find out whether flavonoids, a natural substance found in chocolate, can slow down the cognitive changes that can occur with age.
Before the trial began, each participant then took memory, math and vocabulary tests.
The subjects were then randomly divided into three groups. The first group took a flavonoid supplement every day, the second a combined multivitamin and mineral pill, and the last group received a placebo. Each year, the participants underwent the same tests.
Researchers: More research is needed
When the trial ended after three years, the group that took a multivitamin pill every day were found to be 1.8 years younger in terms of cognitive age.
This means, among other things, that they were better at remembering past experiences, the so-called episodic memory. The researchers found no benefit in the group that took a cocoa extract containing flavonoids every day.
The greatest effect was seen in participants who also had cardiovascular disease, a known risk factor for dementia. The exact cause of this is not yet known. Researchers also don’t know exactly which ingredient in multivitamin pills is responsible for the positive effect on memory.
The researchers believe the study is the first evidence of the effect of vitamin pills on the brain in a long-term randomized controlled trial. This type of research is considered the gold standard for evaluating new treatments. However, other experts want to see more research before making a firm conclusion.
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This is stated, among others, by Professor Tara Spiers-Jones of the Dementia Research Institute of the University of Edinburgh, who was not involved in the study. According to her, the research was well conducted, but it also points out that all the people involved were white and highly educated and that the results are therefore limited to a target group.
‘It is important to confirm that these results hold up in a larger population. Furthermore, it is unclear from the study whether multivitamins can prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s, which affect cognition. Several supplements have been tested as a treatment for Alzheimer’s and none have been shown to be effective so far, ”he tells WebMD. The Guardian.
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