Dementia scares the wind out of me. And working at YLC, while keeping me up-to-date with all things Alzheimer’s and dementia, is helpful, it also make the fear even more real.
I’ve recently found out it’s in my genetics. My nan has it and my pa had it. I’m looking for any way to ensure that it stays away from me as long as possible, which is why when I saw this I thought “yay” and wanted to share it with you.
People over 60 who took a daily multivitamin for a year appeared to stave off the equivalent of three years of age-related mental decline.
“Daily multivitamin supplementation, compared to placebo, improves memory,” the authors concluded. “Multivitamin supplementation holds promise as a safe and accessible approach towards maintaining cognitive health in older age.
People who had heart problems had an even greater benefit.
“There is evidence that people with cardiovascular disease may have lower micronutrient levels that multivitamins may correct, but we don’t really know right now why the effect is stronger in this group,” researcher Adam M. Brickman, PhD, a professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, said in a statement.
The best way to get vitamins and minerals is through a healthy diet rather than taking vitamins or supplements. But supplements may work for those who have food intolerances or who are maybe a little lax about eating the foods needed to ensure good brain health.
“Our study shows that the ageing brain may be more sensitive to nutrition than we realised, though it may not be so important to find out which specific nutrient helps slow age-related cognitive decline,” said Lok-Kin Yeung, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in Columbia’s Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain.
Do you take supplements? Would you seek them out knowing they could stave off dementia?
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