Daily Multivitamin May Slow Biological Aging, Study Finds
A large clinical trial suggests that daily multivitamin use may influence the pace at which the body ages. Researchers report that older adults who took a daily multivitamin for two years showed signs of slower biological aging, with the greatest effect seen in those who began the trial with a biological age higher than their chronological age.
What is Biological Age?
Biological age reflects how quickly the body is aging at the cellular level, which can differ from a person’s actual age. Scientists are increasingly focused on measuring biological age as a more accurate indicator of overall health and longevity than chronological age alone.
The COSMOS Trial and its Findings
The findings, published in Nature Medicine, stem from data analyzed by researchers at Mass General Brigham and Harvard. They examined whether a daily multivitamin influenced five measures of biological aging using data from the COcoa Supplement Multivitamins Outcomes Study (COSMOS), a large randomized clinical trial of older adults.
After two years, participants taking multivitamins showed a reduction in biological aging equivalent to about four months compared to those receiving a placebo. Two of the epigenetic clocks used in the study, known to predict mortality risk, showed statistically significant slowing of aging in the multivitamin group.
How Multivitamins Impact Aging: Epigenetic Clocks
Scientists estimate biological age using “epigenetic clocks.” These methods measure subtle chemical changes in DNA – specifically, DNA methylation – that influence how genes are turned on or off. DNA methylation shifts naturally with age and is linked to overall aging and mortality risk. The COSMOS trial analyzed DNA methylation patterns in blood samples from 958 healthy participants with an average chronological age of 70.
Study Design and Participant Groups
Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: daily cocoa extract with a multivitamin, cocoa extract with a placebo, a multivitamin with a placebo, or two placebos. Blood samples were collected at the start of the study and again after one and two years. Researchers evaluated changes using five epigenetic clocks.
Looking Ahead: Future Research
Researchers plan to conduct follow-up research to determine if the slowing of biological aging observed in the trial persists after the trial ends. The COSMOS team also intends to examine whether the effects of a daily multivitamin on biological aging are connected to other potential benefits seen in the trial, including improved cognition and lower rates of cancer and cataracts.
Expert Commentary
“There is a lot of interest today in identifying ways to not just live longer, but to live better,” said senior author Howard Sesso, ScD, MPH, associate director of the Division of Preventive Medicine in the Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine. “It was exciting to see benefits of a multivitamin linked with markers of biological aging. This study opens the door to learning more about accessible, safe interventions that contribute to healthier, higher-quality aging.”
“A lot of people accept a multivitamin without necessarily knowing any benefits from taking it, so the more we can learn about its potential health benefits, the better,” Sesso added.
Funding
This work was funded by the National Institutes of Health (HL157665). The COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) received support from Mars Edge, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare (now Haleon) and grants from the National Institutes of Health. Additional support came from investigator-initiated grants and charitable donations.