Taking a multivitamin every day could reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s or dementia.
It slows cognitive decline by up to 60 percent, which represents nearly two years of healthy brain functioning.
These improvements were achieved by taking a supplement every day for just three years, say researchers from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
They tested the effects of a multivitamin on a group of more than 2,200 people, who were 65 and older. The participants were given either a multivitamin or a placebo, while another group was given a cocoa extract supplement—with its flavanols thought to improve cognition—or a placebo.
Although those given the cocoa didn’t show any enhanced cognitive function after three years, those taking the multivitamin showed “statistically significant” improvements. People with heart problems—who are at the highest risk of cognitive decline—recorded even greater improvements than the 60 percent average.
Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 2022; doi: 10.1002/alz.12767
