Multivitamins, animal vs. plant proteins, and a couple of podcasts
February round up [2024]
It's February already. I need to readjust my goals. My mind often tricks me into believing I will face no obstacles.
I think that happens to all of us. We set goals, but by late January, life gets in the way.
Work gets crazy. Children of any age need us. Pipes leak out of nowhere. Our focus fluctuates from day to day.
All the above has happened to me. And that is okay. Instead of blaming myself for my mind's incorrect guesses (ha, ha), I'm adapting to reality.
But back to this roundup. I have a couple of new studies with some older ones sprinkled in, timesaving meal ideas, and a couple of podcast recommendations.
Oh, and if you like this article, feel free to click the heart at the end. It helps more people find me on Substack!
The Cosmos trial
You may have heard in the news about a study showing multivitamins (MVI) help cognitive function in people over 60. It’s actually the third study with participants in The Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS).
Cosmos is the largest and longest randomized trial on cocoa extract (500mg/day) and the largest on MVI comprising 21,442 women >65 years old (12,666) and men >60 (8776) in the US. The researchers investigated the effects of taking daily cocoa extract and MVI (centrum silver) on heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other outcomes.
The MVI had no effect on cardiovascular and cancer risk. Although those who took the vitamin had lower risk of lung cancer (38%), which could be random. The MVI improved nutrition biomarkers. And those who consumed the cocoa extra showed a 27% reduction in cardiovascular deaths.
Three separate studies examined the effects of cocoa extract and MVI on cognitive function.
Cosmos Mind Study #1: In collaboration with Wake Forest University researchers, Cosmos researchers conducted a study involving 2262 participants aged over 65 to investigate whether cocoa extract or MVI consumption for 3 years could decrease the likelihood of cognitive decline.
The subjects completed telephone interviews assessing memory and thinking abilities. Cocoa extra showed no effect on cognitive function while daily MVI participants had higher scores slowing cognitive aging by 60% or 1.8 years over three years, when compared to placebo.
Cosmos Web Study #2: Over 3 years, the Cosmos-Web sub-study included more than 3,500 Cosmos participants who underwent annual web-based assessments to evaluate memory and cognitive abilities.
Daily multivitamin usage led to significantly improved performance on the COSMOS-Web memory tests after 1 year. These benefits were maintained across all 3 years of follow-up.
The researchers estimate that the MVI intervention improved memory performance by the equivalent of 3.1 years compared to the placebo group.
“The findings that a daily multivitamin improved memory and slowed cognitive decline in two separate studies in the COSMOS randomized trial is remarkable, suggesting that multivitamin supplementation holds promise as a safe, accessible and affordable approach to protecting cognitive health in midlife and older adults,” -COSMOS Co-Director Dr. JoAnn Manson
Cosmo Clinic Study #3: The third and most recent study tested the effects of multivitamin supplementation on 492 COSMOS participants on in person detailed neuropsychological assessments at baseline and 2 years later.
The MVI group showed a significant positive change in episodic memory, but not executive function or attention. Researchers conducted a meta-analysis on all three studies, finding clear evidence for multivitamin on global cognition and episodic memory.
Implications of the study
I typically start by asking about any prior research conducted. The only study of this magnitude was the Health Physicians II study with >65 male physicians who took a multivitamins (the same one as above Centrum Silver). There was a modest decrease in cancer with MVM (8%) but a larger effect in men with a history of cancer (27%).
They did telephone based cognitive assessments after 2.5 years and found no effect of MVI on cognition compared to placebo. Maybe physicians are healthier than the general population or that it was only men or something else.
One thing unique about these studies is the MVI, Centrum Silver, contains higher B12 than a regular multivitamin. Yet studies giving folic acid and vitamin B12 have been mixed and not shown consistent cognitive benefits.
A really important factor is age and health status of participants. Most of all these studies include people older than 60 but often over 70. I’d really love to see a study starting earlier in midlife, a time when homocysteine, an amino acid linked to cognitive decline, rises.
I found a 2023 study where the average of participants were 37 and they had high homocysteine and were prehypertensive. The researchers gave one group a placebo, while they provided the intervention group with water-soluble vitamins, including folic acid, riboflavin, vitamin C, thiamin, vitamin B12, and niacin. The intervention group had reductions in homocysteine, hs-CRP AND HOMA-IR after 4 months of treatment.
As you can see, they were low in vitamin B12 and folate and this was likely why homocysteine was high. The vitamins helped reduce homocysteine and cut insulin in half!
But let’s imagine if they never had their levels checked and continued for 20 pus years with these deficits. The results of treating this later likely would not be the same. We got to stop ignoring the middle-aged group!
I think it’s great that we’re finding that multivitamins help people over 60. And I ask midlife women to consider taking a multivitamin with minerals that includes higher B vitamins. But nothing replaces testing and monitoring your levels, with help from a health professional, and filling these gaps sooner rather than later.
The false fight: plant vs. animal proteins
I often see influencers trying to convince midlife women to choose animal protein over plant protein. I understand that animal protein is a more complete protein, but we can't ignore the health benefits of plant proteins.
A new study published in the American Journal of Nutrition followed 48,762 midlife nurses (<60) into older age (70-93). Less than 10% (7.6%) achieved their criteria of healthy aging. According to the study:
Healthy aging was defined as being free from 11 major chronic diseases, having good mental health, and not having impairments in either cognitive or physical function.
The odds of aging healthily were higher in those with overall higher protein levels. When separated out, animal proteins showed a slightly less favorable link (6%) and plant proteins, a robust link to healthy aging (46%). Dairy products were also favorable to healthy aging.
Keep in mind that this observational study has its limitations and cannot establish a causal relationship. But it’s not the first study to show a favorable effect of plant proteins.
My take is we don’t have to choose between these protein sources. It’s not just about eating “complete” protein to build muscle. Plant proteins, such as legumes, nuts, and beans, also contain vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols. And polyphenols help scavenge free radicals that increase with aging pause.
And it comes down to that One Health Principle I’ve been talking about, which shows that when we have an increase in oxidative stress and inflammation, we have less nitric oxide. This combination is another factor that contributes to muscle loss as we age, affecting our well-being and overall health.
I love combining animal and plant proteins in meals, especially at this time of year. Every week, I make a batch of chili/soup for my mom and for our lunches. This includes turkey chili with kidney and black beans. Chicken tortilla soup with pinto and black beans. And cilantro chicken and lentils with veggies. I love having this ready to go for lunch, knowing I just need to heat it up.
A couple of podcasts
I’ll leave you with a couple of podcasts I’ve listened to lately. In the past I’ve recommended the book Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents, for anyone struggling with a parent (or anyone) with emotional limitations. A friend recently alerted me to a podcast with the author, Lindsay Gibson, on We Can do Hard Things. It's a great interview.
And last is the School of Greatness podcast with Melissa Urban about setting boundaries (4 critical boundaries to set in every thriving relationship).
This is such an important topic for midlife women. I’ve made setting boundaries a priority for the last few years and it’s made a big difference, but I still have a long way to go. But I never thought about setting boundaries with myself, which she talks about.
How about you? Any podcast or article to share? Let me know in the comments.