Clinical question
How effective are vitamin and mineral supplementation for maintenance of cognitive function in cognitively healthy people aged 40 and over?
Bottom line
There was no good evidence to suggest that middle‐age or older people could preserve cognitive function or prevent dementia by taking vitamin or mineral supplements. Vitamins were considered broadly in the categories of B vitamins (B6, B12 and folic acid), antioxidant vitamins (beta-carotene/vitamin A, vitamins C and E) and combinations of both. Chromium was the only mineral considered. There were a few positive results associated with long‐term use of antioxidant vitamins, particularly beta‐carotene and vitamin C, although the effects were small.
Caveat
There were very few data on supplementation starting in midlife (<60 years). Only 10 studies had an average length of follow‐up longer than 5 years. Only 1 trial assessed progression to dementia due to Alzheimer disease, and no studies assessed progression to all‐cause dementia.
Context
Vitamins and minerals play multiple functions within the central nervous system, which may help to maintain brain health and optimal cognitive functioning. Supplementation of the diet with various vitamins and minerals has been suggested as a means of maintaining cognitive function, or even of preventing dementia, in later life.
Cochrane Systematic Review
Rutjes AWS et al. Vitamin and mineral supplementation for maintaining cognitive function in cognitively healthy people in mid-to-late life. Cochrane Reviews, 2018, Issue 12. Art. No.: CD011906. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011906.pub2. This review contains 28 studies involving over 83,000 participants.
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