A new study put multivitamins to the test for preserving memory

Can an ordinary multivitamin help keep your memory sharp?


Researchers randomly assigned 3,562 adults—their average age was 71—to take either Centrum Silver or a placebo.

After one year, the multivitamin group improved more on a recall test than the placebo takers. (The test asked people to recall 20 words they had seen on a computer screen for 3 seconds each.)

The vitamin group recalled an average of 7.10 words when the study started and 7.81 words a year later, while the placebo group averaged 7.21 words initially and 7.65 words a year later, a small but statistically significant difference.

What to do

It’s too early to know if a multi can preserve memory. But it may be worth taking, since it’s hard for older people to get enough vitamins B-12 and D from food and an earlier trial reported similar results.

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