Multivitamins have a mixed track record when it comes to the research about their possible health benefits. On the positive side: some studies have suggested multivitamin supplements could help lower cancer risk. Less clear has been their impact on cognition. No studies have shown that they can improve memory or brain function—until now.

A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that taking a daily multivitamin—the run-of-the-mill kind you find at your local supermarket or pharmacy—can improve memory and may even help to slow the cognitive decline that comes with aging. It’s not a license to give up on other things linked to good brain health, like a healthy diet and regular exercise, but it could be an important part of an overall plan to keep the brain as sharp as possible for as long as possible.

Here’s what the study, from Harvard and Columbia scientists, reported:

• People over age 60 who took a daily multivitamin for three years improved their ability to immediately recall items on a cognitive test by 12% compared to their baseline.
• The benefit translates to a slowing of age-related memory issues of about three years.
• People with heart disease who took multivitamins showed the biggest improvements in memory compared to those without heart issues.

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