The Study
Impact of Multivitamin-Mineral and Cocoa Extract on Incidence of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: Results from the Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study for the Mind COSMOS-Mind
This study gave people pills or fake pills for three years and checked if they got memory problems. It found that the pills didn't stop people from getting memory problems, but it might have made their memory get worse a little slower if they did get problems. That part is not super clear because it wasn't the main goal of the study.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested if taking a daily multivitamin or cocoa extract helps older adults avoid memory problems or dementia.
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 568 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The slower decline is noticeable on tests but didn't prevent diagnosis of memory problems within 3 years; it may mean vitamins help the brain cope better, not stop disease.
- 2After 3 years, vitamins didn't stop people from getting mild memory problems, but those who took vitamins and still got memory issues declined slower—by about 0.26 standard deviations—than those who took a placebo.
- 3Cocoa extract did nothing.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association
Year
2023
Authors
Bonnie C. Sachs, Benjamin J. Williams, S. Gaussoin, Laura D. Baker, J. Manson, M. Espeland, H. Sesso, Sally A. Shumaker, Stephen R. Rapp
Related Content
Claims (7)
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-mineral supplement for three years does not lower the chance of developing mild cognitive impairment or dementia in adults aged 65 and older, but it is linked to a small reduction in the rate of cognitive decline among those who later develop mild cognitive impairment.
Taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement for three years does not lower the number of people who develop mild cognitive impairment or dementia, although it slightly slows cognitive decline in those who already develop mild cognitive impairment.
Taking cocoa extract every day for three years does not change the likelihood of developing mild cognitive impairment or dementia, and does not slow the rate of cognitive decline in people aged 65 and older.
In adults aged 65 and older who later developed mild cognitive impairment, those who took a daily multivitamin-mineral supplement experienced a slower rate of cognitive decline in the year before diagnosis compared to those who took a placebo, particularly in overall thinking skills and executive function.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.