Effects of a multivitamin, mineral and herbal supplement on cognition and blood biomarkers in older men: a randomised, placebo-controlled trial

Since nutrition and vitamin intake may have connections to cognitive function and decline in older adults, the aim of this 2012 study was to dive into the effects of nutritional supplementation on cognition in older men. The paper exclusively focused on the multivitamin, mineral and herbal supplement called Swisse Men’s Ultivite®, and its impact on cognitive performance in older men. The 51 volunteers of this study were aged between 50 and 74 years, and with an inactive lifestyle. Tests confirmed that contextual recognition memory performance significantly improved after the consumption of the multivitamin, although the subjects’ performances in other cognitive tasks were not affected. Blood samples were also taken to reveal that vitamin B12 and folate levels increased while homocysteine concentrations dropped following supplementation. To conclude, the study found that daily multivitamin supplementation may enhance episodic memory in older men at risk of cognitive decline. [NPID: nutrition, vitamins, multivitamins, supplements, supplementation, minerals, herbal, older, memory, cognition]

Year: 2012

Reference: Harris, E., Macpherson, H., Vitetta, L., Kirk, J., Sali, A., & Pipingas, A. (2012). Effects of a multivitamin, mineral and herbal supplement on cognition and blood biomarkers in older men: a randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Human psychopharmacology, 27(4), 370–377. https://doi.org/10.1002/hup.2236

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