Multivitamins may help delay dementia
Study shows reduced memory loss for people over 60, but concerns mount for former footballers.
A daily multivitamin capsule could play a role in delaying the onset of dementia.
This is according to a study, Multivitamin Supplementation Improves Memory in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial, published last month by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The study, which aligns with previous research, involved 3,560 people older than 60 who were either taking a multivitamin or a placebo.
The participants were asked to learn 20 words from a computer, with three seconds to learn each word before the next one appeared. Immediately after, they were asked to type all the words they could remember.
At the end of the first year of the study, people who continued to take a daily multivitamin were able to remember, on average, one extra word compared with those who took a placebo.
Authors of the study, conducted by Columbia University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard, said the effect was small but statistically significant.
While multivitamins may play some role in delaying dementia, experts say eating a variety of healthy foods remains the best way for us to absorb essential dietary vitamins and minerals.
Meanwhile, research commissioned by the English Football Association (FA) and Professional Footballers' Association found former professional footballers are almost three-and-a-half times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than the general population.
The BBC reported that more than 460 footballers took part in the study, conducted by Nottingham University, which suggests a link between dementia and heading the ball.
The study follows research by Glasgow University in 2019 following the death at just 59 of former England and West Bromwich Albion striker Jeff Astle, which was attributed to early dementia brought on by repeated head trauma.
A group of 30 former footballers and their families have begun legal action in the UK, claiming the FA and other authorities failed to protect them from brain injuries.
Last year, the FA approved a trial to remove deliberate heading in matches for players under 12.
Research in the United States has established an increased incidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a form of dementia that can lead to Alzheimer’s disease, in former National Football League (NFL) players.
Autopsies of deceased NFL players established that more than 90% of them suffered
There have been calls for further research into CTE in Australia, where there are concerns for AFL and NRL players.
Related reading: The New Daily, BBC, USN
