Lost your keys again? That’s me. Forgotten your best friend’s husband’s name? That’s another friend of a certain age who rang me in a tizz recently. If that sounds like you or someone in your family then taking a daily multivitamin may help.

This September, more than 2000 people aged 65 and older were followed for three years to see if taking a cocoa extract or a daily multi vitamin/mineral supplement improved cognitive functions including memory, attention, problem solving, learning, thinking and reasoning. While the cocoa extract had no effect, the daily (widely available) supplement did.

While it’s not clear which micronutrients might be helping, experts generally welcomed the findings. According to expert commentator Dr Austin Perlmutter, ’while the overall data on multivitamins has been less supportive of a clear net benefit in the general population, it does provide some support for the idea that ensuring adequate levels of key micronutrients may be helpful for longer-term brain health in aging populations, especially those with pre-existing vascular disease.’

Of course, the best option is always to eat well but that’s not always possible. So my husband and I, both over 65, are popping a multivitamin pill every morning. I’ve long been a fan of the Alive range, which is food based and includes 26 fruits and vegetables. Pharmacist Shabir Daya recommends Alive Once Daily Multivitamin Ultra Potency.

Importantly, this may also help your body’s defences. ‘It’s important to take a multivitamin/mineral supplement during the winter months to support your immune system,’ says Shabir Daya. ‘It’s a complex system involving cells, hormones, glands and chemical compounds and to all work in synergy it relies heavily on an adequate supplement of nutrients.’

If you’re super busy and not always eating a balanced diet, or you’re over 60 when we don’t absorb nutrients so well, then it is worth considering a supplement.

Shabir also recommends Terranova Living Multinutrient Complex, a food state supplement that offers a wide range of nutrients as the name implies.

PS I still haven’t found my keys….

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