A daily multivitamin costing as little as £3.50 for a six-month supply could help older adults stay mentally sharp and physically independent for longer, according to new research from Augusta University in Georgia.
The findings, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, followed more than 16,000 people aged 60 and over for three years. Researchers found that regular multivitamin use improved a broad range of age-related symptoms, including physical and cardiovascular health.
Dr Bayu Bekele, an expert in preventive medicine and the study's lead author, said what makes the work unique is its focus on how people actually feel and function in daily life, rather than just the prevention of major diseases. He said a daily multivitamin could be a helpful, low-risk addition to a healthy lifestyle to support physical wellbeing as older adults age.
Participants were randomly assigned to take a daily multivitamin containing essential B vitamins, zinc and vitamins A, C and E, a cocoa extract supplement, both, or neither. Provisional figures suggested the multivitamin slowed cognitive ageing by around 60 percent, equivalent to 1.8 years over the three-year study.
Using the same group of participants, the team also found that taking the multivitamin for two years slowed biological ageing by roughly two months per year. To measure this, researchers tested participants' ability to recall past events, follow instructions, remember words and order numbers.
After three years, those taking the daily multivitamin performed better on measures of overall cognition, episodic memory and executive function than those given a placebo. The researchers said further research was needed to confirm the effect.
Physical health gains
The researchers also found that after three years, participants taking the multivitamin were in significantly better health than those on a placebo, based on six measures of physical ability. Questionnaires assessed participants' capacity to perform daily activities such as dressing, bathing, walking, climbing stairs and household chores, along with symptom burden.
The greatest differences were seen in symptoms including fatigue, breathlessness and swelling, all of which reflect heart health. People with a pre-existing heart condition, including heart failure and carotid stenosis, a build-up of plaque in the arteries that can lead to blurred vision, confusion and stroke, benefited the most.
The researchers concluded that multivitamin use supporting heart health and overall physical function may help maintain the ability to perform everyday activities such as dressing, bathing, walking, climbing stairs, jogging or hurrying, and completing household chores. They said these benefits may be particularly relevant for people experiencing fatigue, shortness of breath or swelling in the feet, which can limit daily functioning.
Cocoa extract did not appear to affect scores overall, but it did provide a significant benefit for patients with heart failure, which the researchers attributed to anti-inflammatory compounds in the beans known as polyphenols.
More research needed
The researchers stopped short of recommending that all older people start taking multivitamins, but said there is mounting evidence that the daily supplements could help support healthy ageing. The team said it now wants to find out whether the improvements translate into fewer diseases and longer life, and called for targeted clinical trials assessing the link between multivitamins and heart health.
Separately, researchers from the University of Florida found that glucosamine, a joint pain supplement commonly used to ease aches and pains, was associated with a 25 percent increased risk of progressing from mild memory problems to Alzheimer's disease.
