This week’s Mini Mikkipedia takes a closer look at multivitamins, nutrient status, and whether a daily broad-spectrum supplement may support cognitive ageing. Mikki discusses the COSMOS trial, a large randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that examined multivitamin use in older adults, with a particular focus on the cognitive findings from its ancillary studies. While the parent trial did not show significant benefits for cancer or cardiovascular disease, the cognitive studies found consistent benefits for episodic memory, with effects estimated to be equivalent to slowing cognitive ageing by around two to three years. Mikki also unpacks the limitations, including modest effect sizes, population generalisability, supplement formulation, and why supplements should support, not replace, the fundamentals of nutrition, exercise and sleep. 

Highlights:

•  Why calorie deficits can increase the risk of micronutrient insufficiency 
•  What the COSMOS trial tells us about multivitamins and brain ageing 
•  The difference between observational research and randomised controlled trials 
•  Why episodic memory may be particularly responsive to nutrient status 
•  Why supplement quality, nutrient forms, and baseline deficiency risk matter 

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