We all forget things from time to time, but as we get older, the continued occurrence of misplacing keys or forgetting that phone number you’ve dialed countless times becomes more and more unwelcome, and even scary. But is there anything that can be done to equip our memory to withstand the perils of age?
According to a new randomized controlled study from Australia, taking a combined multivitamin, mineral, and herbal supplement — with similar ingredients found in Ageless Essentials Daily Pack with Product B — may help maintain memory in older women.
The study, published in Psychopharmacology, investigated the effects of multivitamin supplementation on cognition in 56 elderly women who had complaints of memory loss. Study participants were split into two groups; one group took a daily multivitamin consisting of antioxidants and minerals with added herbal and plant extracts, and the other group took a daily placebo.
After 16 weeks, the researchers from the NICM Collaborative Centre for Neurocognition at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne found that compared to the placebo group, the women who took the multivitamin supplement had a significant improvement in spatial working memory and decreased levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that’s harmful in high amounts in the body. The multivitamin users also had higher levels of vitamins B6, B12, and E than the placebo group.
“It is conceivable that by increasing these nutrients via dietary supplementation, there may be a beneficial effect on the function and integrity of the nervous system,” wrote the Australian researchers. They added, “In addition to lowering oxidative stress, it has been suggested that fat soluble antioxidants such as vitamin E may also exert direct effects on the brain.”
Outside the ingredients mentioned above and those typically found in most multivitamins, the study supplement included antioxidants such as coenzyme Q10 (coQ10); herbal and plant extracts such as milk thistle, grape seed, turmeric, ashwagandha, bilberry, and bacopa; and probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus.
More than just a multivitamin, Ageless Essentials Daily Pack with Product B contains essential vitamins and minerals, coQ10, milk thistle, turmeric, bacopa, ashwagandha, grape seed, and turmeric. In addition, Isagenix Ionix Supreme and Cleanse for Life provide doses of ashwagandha, bacopa, turmeric, and bilberry.
As the study suggests, supplementing with multiple vitamins and minerals, in addition to herbal and plant extracts, looks to be beneficial for that very important part of life called memory. This multi-dimensional approach is also what keeps health and well-being at the optimal level.
Reference: Macpherson H, Ellis KA, Sali A, Pipingas A. Memory improvements in elderly women following 16 weeks treatment with a combined multivitamin, mineral and herbal supplement : A randomized controlled trial. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2011. doi: 10.1007/s00213-011-2481-3