Dementia onset and brain aging slowed with daily multivitamin, study finds

Taking a daily multivitamin can ward off cognitive decline by up to two years, according to a new study out of Massachusetts General Hospital.

Cognitive decline is one of the first and primary symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, which combined affect 55 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

“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,” said lead author of the study, Chirag Vyas.

The new findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that a daily multivitamin of 20 essential nutrients “helps prevent memory loss and slow down cognitive aging,” according to senior author Dr. Olivia Okereke.

The study included assessments of 573 individuals over two years. Those who were taking the multivitamin, compared to a placebo group, saw significant increase in their ability to learn, store and retrieve information.

Researchers also found improvements in areas of orientation, attention, language fluency and related abilities, known as global cognition, by up to two years as well.

Fellow Brigham and Women’s Hospital researcher Howard Sesso called the discovery “exciting.”

“It is now critical to understand the mechanisms by which a daily multivitamin may protect against memory loss and cognitive decline with a focus on nutritional status and other aging-related factors,” Sesso said.

Recently, a dentist spoke up on how maintaining quality oral health was tied to preventing mental decline, and exercise was also connected to the prevention of these sorts of neurodegenerative diseases.