The COSMOS-Mind trial was funded by the National Institute on Aging to see if cocoa flavanols or multivitamins could help people stay mentally sharp as they age.
“In short-term clinical trials looking at changes in blood pressure and blood vessel dilation, cocoa flavanols looked promising, and reductions in cholesterol and inflammatory markers were also seen in some trials,” says JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
“Heart health.” “Improves memory.” “Supports immunity.” Those and similar claims rule the supplement aisle. But few are based on double-blind, randomized controlled trials, the crème de la crème of research. Here’s a handful of findings from some of the latest randomized trials.
Legislation introduced today by Senator Richard Durbin and Senator Mike Braun will help the Food and Drug Administration better understand the dietary supplement marketplace by creating a listing database of all marketed supplements. However, although the bill is a definite step forward, it is not enough to address the dangers posed by the thousands of dangerous, tainted, and fraudulent supplements currently on the market.
