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.