Background/Aims: Multi-vitamin and/or mineral supplementation is a common form of dietary supplement consumed by adult Australians, most commonly in the absence of a clinical deficiency. This study aimed to explore effects of four weeks multi-vitamin and mineral (MVN) supplementation on neurocognitive function.
Methods: Fifty-eight healthy adults, 18-40 years of age (M=25.82 years, SD=4.87), participated in this randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial, in which blood biomarkers, mood, cognitive performance and functional brain activity were assessed at baseline and after four weeks supplementation. Functional brain activity was assessed using Steady-State Topography (SST) and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI).
Results: MVN supplementation was associated with significantly lowered homocysteine (mean change ± S.D.; MVN: -0.89 ± 2.12, Placebo: 0.35 ± 2.05 μmol/L, p=0.01) and increased blood B-vitamin levels. MVN treatment was associated with improved mood, as measured by reduced scores on the depression-dejection subscale of the Profile of Mood States (estimated marginal mean ± S.E.M.; MVN: 4.39 ± 0.74, Placebo: 6.86 ± 0.67, p=0.018). No improvements in cognitive performance were observed, however, analysis of functional brain activity during working memory activation tasks indicated changes in centro-parietal brain activity, using both SST (p<.01) and fMRI, however the latter was only in a subset under conditions of fatigue (n=16, 4 significant clusters, p<.01, minimum 100 voxels).
Conclusions: These findings suggest four weeks of MVN supplementation may have beneficial effects on mood and provides preliminary evidence of central activity from MVN supplementation that could potentially alter functional brain activity in healthy young adults.
Funding Source: Bayer AG.