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Brain health · 4 min read

Can a Daily Multivitamin Help Protect Your Brain?

Here’s What One of the Largest Studies Ever Done Found

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If you’ve ever wondered whether a daily multivitamin is “worth it,” you’re not alone. For years, the honest answer from science has been a bit of a shrug. But one of the largest, longest-running, and most respected studies on multivitamins has turned up a finding that’s hard to ignore - and it’s about your brain.

01The study

The Study: COSMOS

COSMOS is a large, independent, placebo controlled, randomised clinical trial (RCT) - the gold standard of research design - that followed over 21,000 older adults for several years. The researchers set out to answer a big question: can a daily multivitamin help prevent cancer and heart disease?1

The honest answer? Not really. The scientists running the study have been refreshingly transparent about that. This isn’t a study with an agenda to sell supplements; it’s independent research that reports what it finds, good or bad.2

02The findings

The Unexpected Finding About Memory

While COSMOS wasn’t designed to look at brain health first, several follow-up studies (called “ancillary studies”) dug into cognition specifically - memory, focus, and how sharp participants’ thinking stayed as they aged. And here’s where it gets exciting:3

  • Participants who were taking the multivitamin had higher cognitive test scores after 3 years, compared to the participants in the placebo group.
  • The investigators estimated that taking the daily multivitamin slowed cognitive aging by approximately 60%.
  • Compared to the placebo group, the participants in the multivitamin group “showed improved global cognition, which reflects overall ability across multiple cognitive domains, such as recall, recognition, and learning”.4
  • Memory and executive function (the mental skills you use to plan, focus, and make decisions) were both significantly better in the multivitamin group.

These weren’t one-off results either. Multiple independent research teams, using different types of cognitive tests (phone-based, computer-based, and in-person), all found the same pattern: people taking a daily multivitamin had better memory outcomes than those on placebo.3

03Why it matters

Evidence Suggests a Multivitamin Can Support Memory

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SISTERLY was built around the idea that daily nutritional support should do more than just “fill gaps” - it should actively support how you think, feel, and function day to day.

COSMOS is one of the strongest pieces of independent evidence to date that a daily multivitamin can genuinely support memory and cognitive health as we age.

That’s not a marketing claim - it’s a finding from a large, peer-reviewed, independent research programme, and it’s exactly the kind of outcome a potent multivitamin was designed to support.

It’s also a good reminder of why we believe in transparency: real science doesn’t confirm every hope we might have for a product, but when it does find something - like a meaningful, repeated, cross-study benefit for memory - that’s worth paying attention to.

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04Beyond the brain

It’s Not Just About Cognition

COSMOS is a great example of what a daily multivitamin can do for the brain - but it’s worth remembering that many of the individual nutrients in SISTERLY’s multivitamins have their own, separate body of established science behind them, beyond this one study:

  • Energy: B-complex vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12) are directly involved in how your cells convert food into usable energy, and CoQ10 plays a central role in energy production within cells.
  • Immunity: Vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, and selenium all have well-documented roles in normal immune system function.
  • Hormone balance: Magnesium and vitamin B6 are both linked to hormone regulation, and are commonly studied in relation to PMS and menstrual cycle symptoms.

None of this is new or unique - it’s well-established nutritional science. But it’s a useful reminder that a good multivitamin isn’t a one-trick pony: the same formula that may support long-term brain health is also doing daily, practical work for energy, immunity, and hormonal balance.56

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  • Energy: magnesium, vitamin B12 and vitamin C
  • Immunity: vitamins A, C and D3, zinc, selenium and copper
  • Cognitive health: zinc
  • Mood and mindset: magnesium
  • Bone health: vitamins D3 and K
  • Hormone support: vitamin B6

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05The takeaway

The Takeaway

A daily multivitamin isn’t a cure-all. But according to one of the best-designed, most transparent studies we have, it may genuinely help protect your memory and cognitive sharpness as you get older. That’s a compelling reason to make a quality daily multivitamin, like SISTERLY The Elevator, part of your routine.

This article has been fact checked by the SISTERLY expert team, but as always, we encourage you to read the original research yourself - links to the source studies are in the footnotes.

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Your questions, answered

Is The Elevator suitable after menopause?

Yes. The Elevator is a daily multivitamin for women aged 18 and over, formulated with every phase of womanhood in mind — including the years after menopause.

Can I take The Elevator if I’m on HRT?

Yes. The Elevator contains no phytoestrogens and can be taken alongside HRT. If you take any prescribed medication, check with your GP or pharmacist before starting a new supplement.

How do I take it?

Mix one sachet with 100ml of water or juice each day. We purposefully left out synthetic suspension agents, so stir, shake or whisk it well before knocking it back.

Can I pause or cancel my subscription?

Yes. You can pause or cancel anytime from your account.

Sources

  1. Original COSMOS, COSMOS-Mind, COSMOS-Web, and COSMOS-Clinic study publications, and Physicians’ Health Study II. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38244989
  2. COSMOS was designed primarily to test other health outcomes, and results there were mixed. It’s a good example of how findings can evolve and vary across different, larger, more diverse trial populations, and of a study reporting honestly on what it did and didn’t find.
  3. Two further ancillary studies backed this up: COSMOS-Web (3,562 participants, computer-based testing) found significantly better memory at both 1 and 3 years in the multivitamin group; COSMOS-Clinic (573 participants, in-person neuropsychological testing) found improved episodic memory over 2 years, though not executive function or attention. A combined meta-analysis of all three ancillary studies (over 5,000 participants total) confirmed improved global cognition and episodic memory with multivitamin use.
  4. Baker LD, Manson JE, Rapp SR, et al. Effects of cocoa extract and a multivitamin on cognitive function: a randomized clinical trial. Alzheimers Dement. 2023;19(4):1308–1319.
  5. These are general, well-established nutrient functions supported by a broad base of nutrition science (independent of the COSMOS study itself), not new claims.
  6. A good summary of the current findings on multivitamins can be found here. ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/MVMS-HealthProfessional

Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the recommended daily intake. Suitable for adults aged 18 and over. Not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding. If you take medication or anticoagulants, or are under medical supervision, consult your doctor before use. This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for advice from your doctor.