Multivitamins pegged to fight cognitive decline, though cocoa extract may be ineffective, research reveals

15 Sep 2022 --- Research from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine has found that consuming multivitamins daily may improve cognition in older adults. The Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) did not show cocoa extract having beneficial effects on cognition.

Published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, the association stresses the need for research, as more than 6.5 million US citizens live with the disease. The study was conducted in collaboration with the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and funded by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health.

“There’s an urgent need for safe and affordable interventions to protect cognition against a decline in older adults,” says Laura D. Baker, professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and co-principal investigator of the trial.

Boosting memoryDaily intake of multivitamins showed potential for beneficial cognitive outcomes.
Including 21,442 participants, the trial was tested on both men and women. Investigating if cocoa extract supplements or daily multivitamin supplements reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer and other health outcomes. The testing took place over three years.

“Our study showed that although cocoa extract did not affect cognition, daily multivitamin-mineral supplementation resulted in statistically significant cognitive improvement,” Baker adds. 

“This is the first evidence of cognitive benefit in a large longer-term study of multivitamin supplementation in older adults.”

Compared to the placebo group, there were statistically significant benefits on global cognition, and the effect was “most pronounced in participants with a history of cardiovascular disease,” according to the Council of Responsible Nutrition (CRN). Additionally, benefits in memory and executive functions were also seen.

“This study adds to the evidence showing promise for various roles of multivitamins in health and previous research established that multivitamins can help to fill nutrient gaps. Beyond this, a previous large-scale clinical trial showed an 8% reduction in overall cancer risk in older male physicians who took a daily multivitamin as well as a significant decrease in cataract risk,” says Andrea Wong, VP at scientific and regulatory affairs, CRN.

“The new study provides evidence that daily multivitamin consumption may benefit older adults’ cognitive function. With further research, the full potential for multivitamins in protecting and enhancing health could be realized."

Cocoa extract
When unprocessed, cocoa contains high levels of catechins and epicatechins – a type of flavonoid known as flavanols. It has low levels of caffeine and theobromine, the study notes. Therefore they believed that “dietary consumption of cocoa flavanols may slow cognitive decline through improved cerebral vasodilation.”

The study notes that in comparison to the placebo group, flavanols’ positive impact on cognitive functions could not be confirmed. The researchers say that some trials showed potential while others did not.

Baker says that “past research suggests that these compounds may positively impact cognition.” She adds that several micronutrients and minerals are crucial for supporting brain and normal body functions, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies may increase the risk for cognitive decline and dementia. 

In a previous COSMOS study, cocoa flavanols showed higher results than multivitamins in being effective for cardiovascular disease. 

Edited by Beatrice Wihlander

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