HEALTH NEWS

Study Title:

Antioxidants Help Cognitive Performance

Study Abstract

Background: Antioxidant properties of some vitamins and trace elements may help to prevent cognitive decline.

Objective: The aim of the current study was to estimate the long-term effects of antioxidant nutrient supplementation on the cognitive performance of participants in the Supplementation in Vitamins and Mineral Antioxidants (SU.VI.MAX) study 6 y after the end of the trial.

Design: This study included 4447 French participants aged 45–60 y who were enrolled in the SU.VI.MAX study (1994–2002), which was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. From 1994 to 2002, participants received daily vitamin C (120 mg), β-carotene (6 mg), vitamin E (30 mg), selenium (100 μg), and zinc (20 mg) in combination or as a placebo. In 2007–2009, the cognitive performance of participants was assessed with 4 neuropsychological tests (6 tasks). Principal components analysis (PCA) was performed to identify cognitive-function summary scores. Associations between antioxidant supplementation and cognitive functions, in the full sample and by subgroups, were estimated through ANOVA and expressed as mean differences and 95% CIs. Subgroup analyses were performed according to baseline characteristics.

Results: Subjects receiving active antioxidant supplementation had better episodic memory scores (mean difference: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.02, 1.20). PCA indicated 2 factors that were interpreted as showing verbal memory and executive functioning. Verbal memory was improved by antioxidant supplementation only in subjects who were nonsmokers or who had low serum vitamin C concentrations at baseline.

Conclusion: This study supports the role of an adequate antioxidant nutrient status in the preservation of verbal memory under certain conditions. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00272428.

Study Information

Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot, Léopold Fezeu, Claude Jeandel, Monique Ferry, Valentina Andreeva, Hélène Amieva, Serge Hercberg, and Pilar Galan.
French adults’ cognitive performance after daily supplementation with antioxidant vitamins and minerals at nutritional doses: a post hoc analysis of the Supplementation in Vitamins and Mineral Antioxidants (SU.VI.MAX) trial
American Journal of Clinical Nurtition
2011 September
Unité de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle, U557 Institut National de la Santeacute et de la Recherche Meacutedicale (INSERM)/U1125 INRA/CNAM/Université Paris.