Researchers from Columbia University and Harvard Medical School report that a daily multivitamin may slow age-related memory decline. The findings appear in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and come from a large, long-term study in which more than 3,500 adults aged 60 and older were randomly assigned to receive either a daily multivitamin or a placebo for three years. Each year, participants completed at-home memory assessments to track changes over time.
By the end of the first year, those taking the multivitamin showed measurable memory improvements, and these gains persisted through the three-year follow-up. The improvement was more noticeable among participants who also had cardiovascular disease, suggesting a potential interaction between cardiovascular health and micronutrient status in influencing cognitive aging. This pattern aligns with a separate, large study known as COSMOS, which followed more than 2,200 older adults and found that daily multivitamin use was associated with better general cognition, memory, and attention, with stronger effects in individuals with cardiovascular concerns.
Researchers caution that while micronutrient supplementation can help correct potential deficiencies, it should not replace a balanced diet or other holistic approaches to obtaining essential nutrients from food. They also emphasize that multivitamins are generally safe but recommend consulting a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement regimen.
In this research, multivitamins were provided by Pfizer. One of the study authors disclosed travel funding from Pfizer to present findings at scientific conferences during the study period, a detail that remains part of the study’s funding and disclosure records. The overall message is that while vitamins can support cognitive health for some, nutrition and health management should be tailored to the individual, ideally under medical guidance. Markers of cardiovascular health and nutritional status may influence how much benefit older adults derive from supplementation, a topic that warrants further study and continued attention in clinical practice.