A daily pill costing 19 cents can keep your memory sharp for TWO YEARS in old age, a new analysis shows

A daily multivitamin can delay an older person’s cognitive decline by two years, a study shows.

Since 2016, researchers at Mass General Brigham have led a large-scale, nationally controlled study involving more than 21,000 participants over the age of 60, looking at the effects of various lifestyle interventions on memory and decision-making.

Their latest findings, published today in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, focused on a group of 573 participants who underwent face-to-face cognitive testing after two to three years of daily taking a multivitamin.

About 272 participants were randomly assigned to the multivitamin group and 301 were placed in the placebo group.

Those who received the multivitamin were given the Centrum Silver pill, made by Haleon, which sold for about 19 cents per pill.

It is aimed at over-50s and contains nutrients including vitamin D, calcium and zinc, all of which are thought to support brain function.

Researchers found that those who took the multivitamin saw a “statistically significant” improvement in episodic memory when asked to perform tasks such as recalling a list of words.

Episodic memory is a type of long-term memory that involves conscious recollection of previous everyday events.

There was less improvement than found in previous studies for executive functions, such as counting backwards.

There is “biological plausibility” to the findings, the researchers said, because combinations of vitamins and minerals interact with multiple pathways that support cognitive health.

The multivitamin taken by patients is aimed at those over 50 and contains nutrients such as vitamin D, calcium and zinc – all of which are thought to support brain function

Additionally, nutrient and micronutrient deficiencies in older adults may increase the risk of cognitive decline.

Lead study author Chirag Vyas said: ‘The meta-analysis of three separate cognition studies provides strong and consistent evidence that taking a daily multivitamin, which contains more than twenty essential micronutrients, helps prevent memory loss and slows cognitive aging.’

Manufacturers and some scientists have been touting the benefits of supplements for years, with the market valued at $50 billion a year in North America alone.

Estimates suggest that about 31 percent of Americans are already at risk for at least one vitamin deficiency.

But many are skeptical about multivitamins’ ability to slow aging in the brain. Experts have previously used over-the-counter vitamins, saying they can keep people from receiving medical treatment.

Dr. Sarah Lock, senior vice president of the American Association of Retired Persons, previously said: ‘Brain health supplements appear to be a huge waste of money for the 25 percent of adults over 50 who take them.

“These people taking these pills are spending between $20 and $60 a month and flushing dollars down the toilet that could be better spent on things that will actually improve their brain health.”