Mass General Brigham Study Says This Common Product Slows ‘Cognitive Aging’

Maybe I'm a Little Paranoid

In 2000, my mother started declining mentally.  At first, it was just little things that only those really close to her noticed. Things like forgetting where she put her car keys or forgetting to put the clothes in the dryer that had been sitting in the washer for a couple of days.

Then, others outside of the family started to notice things, too. For instance, she put her hat & gloves in the refrigerator at work.

In later years, she was diagnosed as having some sort of Lewy body dementia, a condition that affects behavior, memory, and mood.  I'm more than a little paranoid of getting this disease, too, and the truth is, I'm terrified.

Tell Everyone You Know

My sister and I were having dinner the other night, and she said, "Sarah, you have to share the results of this study."  Heidi is a big cog in the communications wheel at Mass General. She isn't in the habit of sharing reports, but couldn't help herself.

This report states that taking a daily multivitamin improves memory and slows cognitive aging in older adults.

Here's a couple of things I'd like to point out:

• This is the THIRD major study done on this topic.
• There is no mention of dementia and Alzheimer's specifically in the study, however, it does specifically say, "that a multi-vitamin could help prevent memory loss and slow cognitive aging among older adults."

You can read all about the study here.

It Was a Slow Decline

My mother was a brilliant, vibrant woman who changed right before our eyes.

Ella went from being fun-loving and happy to having a blank stare, unable to speak, and depressed just before she passed away in 2016.  In my opinion, dementia and alzheimer's are the cruelest diseases.  It robs the person of who they are and puts their family through hell.

If taking a multivitamin may reduce the chance of putting my family through that, sign me up and pass the Centrum.