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Blog author, Solai Buchanan is an experienced Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with an MS from Columbia Teachers College. She specializes in treating heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, polycystic ovarian syndrome,and other chronic diseases. She is a provider at a full-service cardiology practice accepting most insurance and staffed with a primary care MD, pediatrician, and cardiologist. Call: 718.894.7907. NYCC is lead by Interventional Cardiologist Sanjeev Palta, MD, FSCAI, FACC. He trained at Cornell-Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and the State University Hospital of Brooklyn. He currently is an Attending Cardiologist at New York Methodist Hospital and Maimonides Medical Center. He is also an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Having performed over 2000 invasive cardiac procedures Dr. Palta’s patients know they are in trusted hands.

Friday, August 12, 2011

MULTIVITAMIN INTAKE SUPPORTS HEALTHY MEMORY


A new research study found older adults who took a multi-vitamin mineral antioxidant supplement scored significantly higher on a memory test than those who did not take the supplements.  These results come from an experimental trial in which 4,500 adults ranging in age from 45-60 were randomly assigned to take either a placebo (containing no nutrients) or an antioxidant supplement containing vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene (related to vitamin A), selenium, and zinc. 

While some observational studies have previously found an association between supplementation and cognitive capacity, this study is one of the first long-term studies to experimentally demonstrate such a link. Lead researcher Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot wrote, the "findings support a beneficial effect of a well-balanced intake of antioxidant nutrients for maintaining cognitive performance, especially verbal memory."

What to do:  Overall, this research points to the potential benefits of getting a balanced diet rich in antioxidants.  The antioxidants supplemented in this study are primarily found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.  Consuming a variety of colors of fruits and vegetables helps to ensure adequate intake of a range of antioxidants.  Taking a multi-mineral multi-vitamin can help to ensure adequate nutrition but is no substitute for a healthy diet.  Also be mindful not to take supplements with excessive doses of nutrients as these can be very harmful, particularly in the case of minerals.

Information adapted from Reuters.  Research Source: http://bit.ly/ntXIcp American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online July 20, 2011.
 

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