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The impact of long-term vitamin supplementation on cognitive functioning

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Abstract

The possibility that the taking of vitamin supplements may influence cognitive functioning was explored. One hundred and twenty-seven young healthy adults took either ten times the recommended daily dose of nine vitamins, or a placebo, under a double-blind procedure, for a year. After 12 months better performance on two measures of attention was found in females who had taken the vitamin supplement, even though the blood status of nine vitamins reached a plateau after 3 months. The use of regression equations demonstrated the association between improved thiamin status and improved performance on a range of measures of cognitive functioning in females rather than males. Although it was not possible to establish the reason for a beneficial response in females rather than males, the evidence that females respond differently to dietary factors was discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University College Swansea, SA2 8PP, Swansea, Wales, UK

    D. Benton & J. Fordy

  2. Department of Human Nutrition Research, F. Hoffmamm-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland

    J. Haller

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  1. D. Benton
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  2. J. Fordy
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  3. J. Haller
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Benton, D., Fordy, J. & Haller, J. The impact of long-term vitamin supplementation on cognitive functioning. Psychopharmacology 117, 298–305 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02246104

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02246104

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