The Study
Effect of multivitamin‐mineral supplementation on change in cognitive function in the COSMOS Clinical subcohort and meta‐analysis of COSMOS cognition studies
This study looked at several big experiments where people took vitamins or fake pills and then got their brains tested. It found that people who took vitamins might have remembered things a little better, but we can’t be totally sure because we didn’t see all the details of how the experiments were done.
Analysis score
Maximum 85 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
Scientists gave older people daily multivitamins or fake pills for two years and tested their memory and thinking skills.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 544 / 100
Quality score
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies. They sit above a single cohort study but below a single randomized trial, because the underlying evidence is still observational.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The memory improvement is small — like remembering one extra word out of 10 after two years — but it suggests vitamins might slow memory loss a bit.
- 2People who took vitamins had a tiny but real improvement in memory (0.11 standard deviations).
- 3Their overall thinking improved a little too, but not enough to be sure it wasn't by chance (0.06 standard deviations).
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Alzheimer's & Dementia
Year
2023
Authors
Chirag M. Vyas, P. Rist, H. Sesso, Joann E Manson, Olivia I. Okereke
Related Content
Claims (10)
Taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement for two years results in a reduction of cognitive aging by about two years in people aged 60 and older, as shown by improved scores on tests of overall thinking and memory.
Daily multivitamin-mineral supplementation in older adults reduces cognitive aging by 2–3 years, as measured by improvements in global cognition, episodic memory, and immediate verbal memory, independent of assessment modality.
Taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement for two to three years leads to better episodic memory and overall cognitive performance in adults aged 60 and older, with the improvement matching the cognitive gain of aging backward by 2 to 4.8 years.
Taking a daily vitamin and mineral pill for two years might help older adults think more clearly and remember things better—like turning back their brain’s clock by two years.
Taking a daily multivitamin might slightly help your memory and thinking as you age, but the evidence isn’t strong enough to say for sure—it’s like a tiny nudge in the right direction that could just be luck.
Taking a daily multivitamin-mineral supplement is associated with better overall thinking skills and memory in older adults living in the community.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.