They knew the pill was fake but their memory still improved

A study from the University Cattolica in Milan showed that healthy older adults experienced measurable improvements in memory, physical performance, and stress levels after taking placebo pills for three weeks. Surprisingly, the placebo worked even when participants knew the pills contained no active ingredients. Physical performance increased by 7% in the deceived group and by 9.2% in the group aware they were taking a placebo. Cognitive performance improved by 6.9% to 21.5% among participants who knew they were taking a placebo. Stress levels improved most noticeably in those aware they were taking a placebo. The research suggests that placebo treatment can be an ethically acceptable strategy to support healthy aging.