Millions of American adults take daily multivitamins, even though the pills have not been shown to prevent ailments like heart disease or cancer and experts say it’s better to get nutrients from food.
The latest research looks at whether taking a daily vitamin can have an effect on memory.
The study found multivitamins may boost memory function in some people, by the equivalent of three years of normal, age-related memory loss.
Doctors Agree: Harvard Study Says This Pill Improves Quality of Life After 50
While the study isn’t comprehensive enough to warrant broad recommendations to take vitamins, it provides important information about their use, said Adam Brickman, the Columbia University professor of neuropsychology who led the study.
“Well-designed research studies are showing that there might indeed be some benefits " to taking multivitamins, he said.
Further study is needed to determine exactly which nutrients might make a difference.
Study: All Multivitamins Are Not the Same – See More
Here’s what to know about the new research published Wednesday in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Researchers at New York's Columbia University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston tracked more than 3,500 people over age 60 for three years.
The participants were randomly assigned to take a daily multivitamin or a dummy pill. They were evaluated annually for three years with internet-based exams that measure memory function.
One test gave participants a list of 20 words, one at a time, for 3 seconds each, then asked them to type all of the words they remembered immediately and after 15 minutes. The exam measured the function of the hippocampus, an area in the brain that controls learning and memory, Brickman said.
Forgetting Things: Stop the Worry! Try Dr. Blaylock's Brain Boosters, See More
After one year, participants who took daily vitamins had better memory function, moving from correctly recalling 7.10 words at the start to 7.81 words.
Participants who got dummy pills went from recalling 7.21 words to 7.65 words.
About 60% of U.S. adults and about 35% of children take daily vitamins, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The pills are part of nearly $56 billion Americans spend each year on dietary supplements.
U.S. dietary guidelines recommend that Americans should get their nutrients from food, unless they have specific needs or are advised to take vitamins by a health care provider.
Vitamins can provide missing nutrients in the diet, but taking high amounts can result in side effects ranging from stomach upset to serious heart and liver problems.
The new study shows that vitamin pills may provide missing micronutrients, especially in the diets of older adults, said Robert Hackman, a research nutritionist with the University of California, Davis, who was not involved in the research.
About a third of adults older than 60 fail to get adequate vitamins, minerals, and fiber from food alone.
ATTENTION MEN: The One Thing You Should Do for Your Prostate Every Morning, More Info