New study finds that multivitamins could help slow cognitive decline associated with aging

A new study found that taking a multivitamin could help slow cognitive decline that's associated with aging by as much as two years.

A study led by researchers at Mass General Brigham and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people 60 years or older who took Centrum Silver multivitamin had slower cognitive decline than those who took a placebo.

The report is the third part of the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS). The three studies have shown that people who took a daily multivitamin for up to three years slowed cognitive brain aging by two years.

People taking multivitamins had higher cognitive test scores

The three studies included over 5,000 volunteers. The first two studies evaluated volunteers over the phone or web interviews over two to three years. The results showed that people who took a multivitamin daily had higher cognitive test scores than those who took a placebo.

The most recent study evaluated nearly 600 people in person. Researchers found the same result in the last study as they did in the previous two.

"The results from this latest report confirm consistent and statistically significant benefits of a daily multivitamin versus placebo for both memory and global cognition," a press release from Mass Brigham said.

What vitamins should you be taking?Talk with your doctor and be aware of marketing

Results are promising as Alzheimer's impacts many

The study shows promising results at a time when the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that by 2060, the number of people in the U.S. aged 65 and older with Alzheimer’s dementia is projected to reach 13.8 million, unless there's medical development to prevent, slow or cure 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 Vyas, MBBS, MPH, instructor in investigation at the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system said in a press release.