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Vitamin and mineral supplementation for maintaining cognitive function in cognitively healthy people in mid and late life
Rutjes AW, Denton DA, Di Nisio M, Chong LY, Abraham RP, Al-Assaf AS, Anderson JL, Malik MA et al.. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2018-12-17
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Vitamins and minerals play multiple functions within the central nervous system which may help to maintain brain health and optimal cognitive functioning. Supplementation of the diet with various vitamins and minerals has been suggested as a means of maintaining cognitive function, or even of preventing dementia, in later life. Objectives To evaluate the effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation on cognitive function in cognitively healthy people aged 40 years or more.
Key findings
- Supplementation of the diet with various vitamins and minerals has been suggested as a means of maintaining cognitive function, or even of preventing dementia, in later life.
- Objectives To evaluate the effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation on cognitive function in cognitively healthy people aged 40 years or more.
- Search methods We searched ALOIS, the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group's (CDCIG) specialised register, as well as MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO Portal/ICTRP from inception to 26th January 2018.
- Selection criteria We included randomised controlled trials that evaluated the cognitive effects on people aged 40 years or more of any vitamin or mineral supplements taken by mouth for at least three months.
Why it matters
This review evaluated whether vitamin and mineral supplements affect cognitive function in cognitively healthy people aged 40 or older. The provided text does not report the findings, so it is unknown whether supplementation helps maintain cognition or prevents dementia.
Study details
- Participants28
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 69/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (The Cochrane database of systematic reviews) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews: journal h-index 468 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A meta-analysis pooling many studies (from PubMed type “Meta-Analysis”) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2018 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 28 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 165 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 16.5 citations a year over 10 year(s) since 2018 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 9.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 5 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 47 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Jenny M. McCleery: h-index 23 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Bern: institution h-index 977 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 13 institution(s) in 5 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 30556597) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 69 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd011906.pub2
- PubMed: 30556597
- Original source →
- Free full text: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Rutjes, A. W., Denton, D. A., Di Nisio, M., Chong, L. Y., Abraham, R. P., Al-Assaf, A. S., et al. (2018). Vitamin and mineral supplementation for maintaining cognitive function in cognitively healthy people in mid and late life. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd011906.pub2
Vancouver
Rutjes AW, Denton DA, Di Nisio M, Chong LY, Abraham RP, Al-Assaf AS, et al. Vitamin and mineral supplementation for maintaining cognitive function in cognitively healthy people in mid and late life. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2018. doi:10.1002/14651858.cd011906.pub2. PMID: 30556597.
BibTeX
@article{rutjes2018-30556597,
author = {Rutjes, A. W. and Denton, D. A. and Di Nisio, M. and Chong, L. Y. and Abraham, R. P. and Al-Assaf, A. S. and Anderson, J. L. and Malik, M. A. and others},
title = {{Vitamin and mineral supplementation for maintaining cognitive function in cognitively healthy people in mid and late life}},
journal = {The Cochrane database of systematic reviews},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1002/14651858.cd011906.pub2},
pmid = {30556597},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd011906.pub2}
}
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