Tori Hudson, ND
You have likely heard the news about a recent study called the Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study Web. This study included 3,562 older adults. Individuals were randomly assigned to a daily multivitamin supplement or placebo and evaluated annually with a batter of neuropsychological tests over a three-year period.
The commercial supplement for 50-plus adults contains the following:
| Amount Per Serving | % Daily Value | |
| Vitamin A (40% as Beta-Carotene) | 750 mcg | 83% |
| Vitamin C | 60 mg | 67% |
| Vitamin D3 | 25 mcg (1000 IU) | 125% |
| Vitamin E | 22.5 mg | 150% |
| Vitamin K | 30 mcg | 25% |
| Calcium | 220 mg | 17% |
| Phosphorus | 20 mg | 2% |
| Iodine | 150 mcg | 100% |
| Magnesium | 50 mg | 12% |
| Zinc | 11 mg | 100% |
| Selenium | 19 mcg | 35% |
| Copper | 0.5 mg | 56% |
| Manganese | 2.3 mg | 100% |
| Chromium | 50 mcg | 143% |
| Thiamin | 1.5 mg | 125% |
| Riboflavin | 1.7 mg | 131% |
| Niacin | 20 mg | 125% |
| Vitamin B6 | 3 mg | 176% |
| Folate (400 mcg Folic Acid) | 667 mcg DFE | 167% |
| Vitamin B12 | 25 mcg | 1,042% |
| Biotin | 30 mcg | 100% |
| Pantothenic Acid | 10 mg | 200% |
| Molybdenum | 45 mcg | 100% |
| Chloride | 72 mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 80 mg | 2% |
| Lutein | 250 mcg | * |
| Lycopene | 300 mcg | * |
The stated primary outcome measure was a change in episodic memory, defined as immediate recall performance on the ModRey test, after one year of the supplement or placebo. The secondary outcome measure included change in episodic memory over three years of follow-up as well as changes in the performance on the neuropsychological tests.
Participants who took the multivitamin supplementation had significantly better ModRey immediate recall at one year as well as over the three years. There were no changes in episodic memory, performance on the tasks, object recognition, or executive function. The researchers estimated that the effect of the multivitamin intervention and memory improvement over placebo was equivalent to 3.1 years of age-related memory change. This means that they achieved a delay of age-related memory changes of about 3 years
Commentary
I don’t think it gets much simpler and safe than this…a simple multivitamin that can delay age-related memory changes. This does not mean dementia prevention or Alzheimer’s disease treatment but rather a safe strategy to slow age-related cognitive decline.
There are many ingredients in a multivitamin formula so one might ask is one or more having a greater effect than others. The answer is, we don’t know, but likely. Strong contenders would be one or more of the antioxidants and one or more of the B vitamins.
Reference
Yeung L, Alschuler T, Hale C, et al. Multivitamin supplementation improves memory in older adults: A randomized clinical trial. America Journal Clinical Nutrition. May 2023
Published July 15, 2023
About the Author
Tori Hudson, ND, is a nationally recognized author (book: Women’s Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine second edition, McGraw Hill 2008), speaker, educator, researcher, and clinician. She serves on several editorial boards, advisory panels and as a consultant to the natural products industry. Dr. Hudson graduated from the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) in 1984 and has served the college in several capacities, including Medical Director, Associate Academic Dean, and Academic Dean. She is currently a clinical adjunct professor at NUNM, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Bastyr University, and the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.
Dr Hudson has been in practice for more than 36 years. She is the medical director of her clinic, A Woman’s Time, in Portland, Oregon, co-owner and director of product research and education for VITANICA, and the program director for the Institute of Women’s Health and Integrative Medicine. She is also the founder and co-director of NERC (Naturopathic Education and Research Consortium), a non-profit organization for accredited naturopathic residencies.