Multi-Vitamins may prevent dementia

I have long been a proponent of taking a good multi-vitamin every day (and I take one myself), the main reason being nutritional insurance. Unless we regularly get our blood tested in great detail, none of us knows for sure if we are lacking a mineral or vitamin in our body, no matter how good a diet we have. Taking a multi-vitamin means that you are highly unlikely to have any deficiency. What we do know for sure is that nutritional deficiencies can lead to poorer health, including brain health.

There are currently no FDA-approved treatments to prevent cognitive decline in older adults who do not have symptoms. Experts in the field rightly state that identifying a safe, affordable, and accessible intervention to protect cognitive function against decline in older adults is a pressing public health priority.

A recent study, which rightly gained a lot of media attention, found that taking a daily multi-vitamin tablet could potentially keep the brain sharper for an extra two years.

The research was part of a wider trial by Brigham and Women's Hospital involving more than 21,000 men and women across the United States. More than 2,200 participants aged 65 and older enrolled and were followed for three years. They completed tests over the telephone at the beginning of the study, and annually, to evaluate memory and other cognitive skills.

Scientists investigated whether taking a daily cocoa extract supplement or a daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement reduces the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, cancer and other health outcomes.

The main finding was that taking a daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement resulted in statistically significant cognitive improvement - the first time that this has been shown in a major study. The researchers estimated that three years of taking a daily multi-vitamin supplement roughly translated to a 60 per cent slowing of cognitive decline, equating to around 1.8 years.

Interestingly, the benefits were more pronounced in study participants with significant cardiovascular disease - which implies to me that the benefits may be achieved from effects on the blood vessels supplying the brain
and/or in the brain.

As well as effectiveness, when assessing a preventative measure, it is important to look at safety and cost. And in both these aspects, multi-vitamins excel. They are incredibly safe, and, at a cost of just a few cents a day, they are not expensive. They may well also have other health benefits.

The researchers stated that more studies are needed before any recommendations are made. I agree, this study alone does not prove beyond doubt that multi-vitamins will prevent or delay cognitive decline. However, it does provide a strong clue that they do, and adds to the case for taking them.

The full study paper can be seen at this link for free:
https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/alz.12767