Taking a multivitamin every day could slash three years off your mental age

Taking a daily multivitamin could slash three years from your mental age when it comes to memory.

A study of more than 3,500 people over 60 gave around half a multivitamin tablet every day for a year, while the rest took a dummy pill. The volunteers did thinking tests before the study started and again a year later.

In word-memorising tests, those on multivitamins could recall 0.7 words more than previously and those on dummy pills 0.44 words more. The researchers, from Columbia University in the US, said those on multivitamins had memories typical of someone three years younger but admitted the effects were small.