Few effective approaches have been shown through randomized clinical studies to improve memory or slow cognitive decline in older individuals. Nutritional treatments could play a crucial role in helping these older adults, as the brain requires multiple nutrients for optimal health; any deficiencies could accelerate cognitive decline.
Results from the COSMOS-Web Study, one of two that tested multivitamin supplementation on cognitive function, demonstrate that daily multivitamin use helps enhance memory in individuals more than placebo supplementation does.
This study is part of the COSMOS research initiative and follows up on its earlier publication COSMOS-Mind, exploring whether taking multivitamins could enhance memory function.
COSMOS studies that demonstrated daily multivitamin supplementation as improving memory and slowing cognitive decline suggest it could be an accessible, safe, and cost-effective strategy to promote cognitive health among older individuals.
As COSMOS makes available two cognitive studies and more are completed, it is imperative to understand how supplementing with multivitamins could protect against cognitive decline and memory loss.
The COSMOS-Web trial involved over 3,500 individuals 60 years and older who completed cognitive and memory assessments annually over three years online. When compared with those in the placebo group, individuals randomized to multivitamin supplementation performed significantly better on memory tests at 1 year, with benefits lasting throughout 3 years of follow up.
COSMOS studies estimated that multivitamin treatment could extend memory performance by an equivalent to approximately three years over placebo, with individuals with cardiovascular disease history likely reaping the most advantages from such a regimen.
Thanks to an innovative approach of using internet-based tests to measure cognitive outcomes, researchers were able to assess the effect of multivitamin supplements on thousands of individuals. Their promising findings provide essential basis for further studies regarding how multivitamin supplements impact cognition.
Many older adults are concerned with memory changes associated with age. A recent study suggests that supplementing with multivitamins could be an affordable and straightforward way for these individuals to prevent memory loss.
The COSMOS-Web study results confirm earlier results from the COSMOS-Mind study linking daily multivitamin supplementation to cognitive decline delay. In testing 2,200 older individuals over three years, randomization to daily multivitamin supplementation led to an approximate 60% delay in global cognitive aging compared to taking placebo; equivalent to 1.8 years less cognitive decline.
Though the COSMOS-Web study provides evidence of cognitive benefits associated with multivitamin supplements, further investigation will be required to ascertain which nutrients provide maximum benefits and establish any underlying mechanisms.
More research needs to be conducted in order to confirm if these results apply to a more diverse population with lower socioeconomic status and educational levels.
