Could taking a daily multivitamin supplement help maintain cognitive health with aging and possibly prevent cognitive decline? According to new research, it might. A new study found that taking a daily supplement may improve cognitive function in older adults, but additional studies are needed to confirm these findings before any health recommendations can be made. The study also showed that daily use of a cocoa extract supplement did not benefit cognitive function. The findings by researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, conducted in collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, were published Sept. 14 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. More than 6.5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Additionally, 1 in 3 seniors die from the disease or another form of dementia. Laura D. Baker, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, led the COSMOS-Mind trial, which shows that taking a daily supplement can improve cognitive function in older adults . Credit: Wake Forest University School of Medicine “There is an urgent need for safe and affordable interventions to protect cognitive function against decline in the elderly,” said Laura D. Baker, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and co- principal investigator of the trial, along with Mark Espeland, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Laura D. Baker, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Credit: Wake Forest University School of Medicine The Supplements and Multivitamins for Mind Study (COSMOS-Mind) was an ancillary study of the COSMOS trial led by Brigham and Women’s Hospital that randomized 21,442 men and women in the US. a daily multivitamin mineral supplement reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and other health effects. Funded by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health. According to Baker, cocoa extract is rich in compounds called flavanols, and previous research shows that these compounds may positively affect cognitive function. In addition, Baker said, several micronutrients and minerals are needed to support normal body and brain function, and deficiencies in older adults may increase the risk for cognitive decline and dementia. In COSMOS-Mind, scientists tested whether daily administration of cocoa extract versus placebo and a mineral multivitamin versus placebo improved cognitive function in older adults. More than 2,200 participants, age 65 and older, were enrolled and followed for three years. To assess memory and other cognitive abilities, participants completed telephone tests at baseline and annually. Mark Espeland, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Credit: Wake Forest University School of Medicine “Our study showed that although cocoa extract did not affect cognitive function, daily multivitamin mineral supplementation resulted in statistically significant cognitive improvement,” Baker said. “This is the first evidence of cognitive benefit in a large long-term study of multivitamin supplementation in older adults.” According to the researchers’ estimates, three years of multivitamin supplementation roughly translates into a 60% slowing of cognitive decline (about 1.8 years). The results showed that the benefits were relatively stronger in participants with significant cardiovascular disease, which is important because these people are already at increased risk for cognitive decline and impairment. “It is too early to recommend daily multivitamin supplementation to prevent cognitive decline,” Baker said. “While these preliminary findings are promising, additional research is needed in a larger and more diverse group of people. Also, we still have work to do to better understand why the multivitamin may benefit cognitive function in older adults.” For more on this research, see Daily multivitamin may slow cognitive aging. Citation: “Effects of Cocoa Extract and a Multivitamin on Cognitive Function: A Randomized Clinical Trial” by Laura D. Baker, Joann E. Manson, Stephen R. Rapp, Howard D. Sesso, Sarah A. Gaussoin, Sally A. Shumaker and Mark A. Espeland, September 14, 2022, Alzheimer s & Dementia.DOI: 10.1002/alz.12767 The COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) was supported by an investigator-initiated grant from Mars Edge, a division of Mars dedicated to nutritional research and products, which included infrastructure support and a donation of study pills and packaging. Haleon provided support through partial provision of study pills and packaging. COSMOS is also supported in part by grants AG050657, AG071611, EY025623, and HL157665 from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) program is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services through contracts 75N92021D00001, 75N92021D00002, 75N92021D00003, 75N92021D00004, 75N92021D00005. Neither Mars Edge nor Haleon contributed to data analyses, interpretation of results, or manuscript development.
