When it comes to health, it’s essential to take care of yourself through diet, lifestyle and medical assistance. Staying up to date with your doctor’s appointments and knowing what medications you should be taking is crucial. But taking steps beyond the doctor’s office is also necessary with proper exercise, good habits and the right routine.
While every supplement isn’t suitable for everyone, they can be hugely beneficial. Before starting a supplement, you should always speak to your doctor to ensure it aligns with your health goals and medical needs.
A new study from Mass General Brigham is the latest to look at how multivitamins impact aging adults. The study used 573 people over the age of 60. It found “strong evidence of benefits for both global cognition and episodic memory.”
One in four Americans will have a higher risk of memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease by 2060. It’s a growing concern. Having ways to help ourselves outside of medical intervention can be easier and less expensive.
A daily multivitamin could be a preventative step to help shield people’s brains. This is the third study that has found “strong and consistent evidence that taking a daily multivitamin, containing more than 20 essential micronutrients, helps prevent memory loss and slow down cognitive aging,” said Dr. Chirag Vyas, the study’s co-author.
A multivitamin shouldn’t be taken in place of eating a healthy diet. The Mayo Clinic says multivitamins can “help fill gaps” left in diets.
Dr. Raul Seballos, a Cleveland Clinic internist, said, “Taking a multivitamin is no substitute for healthy lifestyle choices like exercising and eating a balanced diet.”
Eating a healthy diet is essential, but there are sometimes vitamins or nutrients you might be missing that a supplement could help you get your daily value of. It’s important to consult your doctor first because some medications may interact, but a multivitamin could offer you a boost.
Dr. JoAnn Manson, a co-author of the study, is thrilled with their findings about how much multivitamins aid cognition. “If this finding had been observed in a study for an expensive pharmaceutical, it would probably be aggressively marketed for that type of benefit,” she said.
The researchers estimate, from their results, that taking a daily multivitamin can slow cognitive aging by roughly two years. They aren’t sure why, but they suggest it’s because many people are missing essential vitamins and minerals.
Even if you eat a healthy diet, it’s probable that you won’t hit your daily value of every mineral and vitamin you should. Perhaps taking a multivitamin gives people the extra boost they need and helps them hit a magic number. Everyone agrees that supplements do not replace other aspects of a healthy medical routine. But you should ask your doctor if adding a daily multivitamin is right for you.
