Multivitamin supplementation in women over 50
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Cognitive Health and Memory in Women Over 50: Multivitamin Supplementation
Recent studies show that multivitamin supplementation may offer some cognitive benefits for women over 50. One large randomized trial found that daily multivitamin use led to significant improvements in memory performance, with effects equivalent to reversing about three years of age-related memory decline . Another study in elderly women with subjective memory complaints reported that 16 weeks of multivitamin supplementation improved the speed of response in spatial working memory tasks, though benefits to other cognitive processes were not observed . However, a separate trial in healthy older adults found no cognitive improvements after 16 weeks of supplementation, despite improvements in blood biomarkers related to cognitive health . These findings suggest that while some memory benefits are possible, especially in those at risk of cognitive decline, the effects may be limited or not universal 136.
Mood and Stress: Subtle Effects of Multivitamins in Older Women
Research on mood outcomes in women over 50 is mixed. A four-week study found no significant improvements in laboratory-based mood assessments after multivitamin supplementation. However, when mood was assessed in real-time at home, women reported reduced stress and a trend toward less mental fatigue several hours after taking the supplement . This suggests that multivitamin supplementation may have subtle, short-term benefits for stress, but these effects may not be easily detected in traditional clinical settings .
Cardiovascular Health: Multivitamins and Risk of Hypertension or Heart Disease
Large-scale studies have examined whether multivitamin use reduces the risk of hypertension or cardiovascular disease in women over 50. The evidence consistently shows no association between multivitamin use and a lower risk of developing hypertension . Similarly, a major study of postmenopausal women found no significant effect of multivitamin use on the risk of common cancers, cardiovascular disease, or overall mortality . However, some population-based studies suggest that long-term multivitamin use may be linked to a lower risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack), especially in women without pre-existing cardiovascular disease 79. These findings indicate that while multivitamins are not a proven strategy for preventing hypertension or most cardiovascular events, there may be some benefit for heart attack prevention with long-term use in certain groups 79.
Weight, Lipids, and Metabolic Health: Effects in Obese Women
In obese women, multivitamin and mineral supplementation over 26 weeks led to reductions in body weight, body fat, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol, as well as increases in resting energy expenditure and HDL cholesterol . These results suggest that multivitamin supplementation may help improve body composition and lipid profiles in obese women, possibly by boosting energy expenditure and fat oxidation .
Cancer and Chronic Disease Prevention: Current Evidence
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and large cohort studies conclude that there is insufficient evidence to recommend multivitamin supplementation for the primary prevention of cancer or cardiovascular disease in healthy adults over 50 58. There is also no evidence that multivitamin use reduces overall mortality in this population .
Safety of Multivitamin Supplementation in Older Women
Studies report that multivitamin supplementation is generally safe for women over 50, with no evidence of liver toxicity or other serious adverse effects during the study periods 136.
Conclusion
For women over 50, multivitamin supplementation may offer modest benefits for memory, stress reduction, and metabolic health, particularly in those at risk of cognitive decline or with obesity. However, current evidence does not support multivitamin use for the prevention of hypertension, most cardiovascular events, cancer, or overall mortality. Multivitamin supplements are generally safe, but their benefits for healthy older women remain limited and specific.
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