Multivitamins ARE Good for Your Brain

More than half of adults in the United States take multivitamin supplements. A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine questioned their brain benefits, but taking a closer look at this poorly designed research sheds some light on its questionable conclusions.

Published December 17, 2013, the study "Long-Term Multivitamin Supplementation and Cognitive Function in Men" looked at brain function in men taking low-potency multivitamins.

Many of the nutrients in the multivitamin supplement were present in miniscule amounts well below therapeutic daily dosages, like only 60 milligrams of vitamin C (the optimal intake for adults is 1,000 to 9,000 milligrams according to Dr. Russell B. Marz), 20 micrograms of selenium (the optimal intake is 200 to 300 micrograms), and 25 mcg of vitamin B12 (the optimal intake is 100 to 500 micrograms). Even the researchers admitted that the doses of nutrients "may be too low."

Furthermore, the scientists conducting this study included people who took the multivitamins only two-thirds of the time and they relied on the recollection of the participants during a once-a-year telephone interview instead of asking them to return any unused supplements for a more reliable measure of compliance.

It's no wonder that taking inadequate amounts of vitamins on an intermittent basis didn't show big benefits.

Numerous well-designed, randomized, placeo-controled studies have shown that nutrients in multivitamin formulas are essential for the well-being and normal function of the brain. They have been shown to 
Improve cognitive test scores Enhance mathematical processingStrengthen memory Maintain healthy neuron (brain cell) functionSlow brain atrophy Protect the brain from oxidative damage linked to cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease
In an ideal world, the vitamins and minerals we need would come from food. But in the real world, it’s almost impossible to get all of the nutrients our bodies need from diet alone. Several factors contribute to this discrepancy:
Modern-day lifestyles, prescription medications, and chronic illnesses all increase our needs for nutrients but foods today are significantly less nutritious than the wild ones that were available to our ancestors Industrial-farming methods like growing monocultures and using chemical fertilizers have depleted nutrients in soil, and if the nutrients aren’t available for plants to absorb them, we don't ingest themWe’ve selected and engineered plant species for their appearance and shelf life, not for their nutritional contentWe pick fruits and vegetables before they’re ripe (unripe produce has significantly less nutrients than mature produce) and ship them long distances, which depletes nutrient stores even furtherAir pollution and rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reduce the nutritional content of the plants we eatA large portion of the foods we eat have been processed and the manufacturing methods used to make them destroy vitamins
Multivitamins can compensate for what’s missing, so think of them as health insurance. Formulas vary greatly from one brand to another, so it's a good idea to do some research before you buy and select a high-quality, high-potency product. Read about what I look for in multivitamins on page 89 of my new book, The Prediabetes Detox, or get individualized recommendations from your naturopathic doctor.

Unlike other medical practitioners, naturopathic doctors have extensive training in prescribing supplements like vitamins and minerals and they are knowledgeable in potential interactions between natural medicines and prescription medications.

Next week I'll discuss the problems with the other recent study attempting to discredit multivitamins.