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Effects of multiple micronutrient supplementation on cognitive function in children: a systematic review and

Neda Asgari Avini1, Hossein Shahinfar2, Zahra Yazdian1

  • 1Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Science and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Nutritional Neuroscience
|June 1, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Multiple micronutrient (MMN) supplementation may slightly improve memory and language in children. However, current evidence is insufficient to recommend regular MMN intake for cognitive enhancement due to small effects and high variability.

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional Neuroscience
  • Pediatric Health
  • Cognitive Development

Background:

  • Understanding the impact of multiple micronutrient (MMN) supplementation on cognitive function in children is crucial but remains incomplete.
  • Existing research has not definitively established the benefits of MMNs for cognitive development in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively assess the effects of MMN supplementation on cognitive function in children under 18 years of age.
  • To synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on MMNs and cognitive outcomes in children and adolescents.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science up to May 2025.
  • Included RCTs involved children/adolescents (≤18 years) comparing MMN supplementation (≥3 micronutrients) against placebo/control, assessing cognitive outcomes.
  • Meta-analysis using random-effects models was performed on data from 35 studies (19,343 participants), with risk of bias assessed using the Cochrane tool.

Main Results:

  • A significant positive effect of MMN supplementation was observed for memory (SMD: 0.22) and language (SMD: 0.09) domains.
  • However, only four of the 35 included studies were classified as low risk of bias, indicating considerable heterogeneity and potential for bias.
  • No significant effects were detected in other cognitive domains, and GRADE assessments indicated very low to high certainty for the observed effects.

Conclusions:

  • MMN supplementation in children may lead to minor improvements in memory and language functions.
  • The small effect sizes and substantial heterogeneity across studies limit the ability to support routine MMN intake for cognitive enhancement in children.
  • Further high-quality research is needed to clarify the role of MMNs in pediatric cognitive development.
Abstract

Keywords:
Multiple micronutrientschildrenclinical trialscognitive functioncognitive performancemeta-analysis

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