Daily Multivitamin Use May Slow Biological Aging

A daily multivitamin may significantly slow the rate at which our bodies age on a cellular level, particularly for individuals who are biologically older than their chronological age, according to new research from Harvard Medical School and Mass General Brigham.

The study, published in Nature Medicine, found that daily supplementation with a multivitamin, combined with cocoa extract, slowed biological signals predictive of mortality. Researchers utilized data from the COcoa Supplement Multivitamins Outcomes Study (COSMOS) to analyze DNA changes in blood samples from 958 healthy participants with an average age of 70.

Understanding Biological Aging

While chronological age is simply the number of years a person has lived, biological age reflects the actual state of the body at a cellular level. Estimates of biological age are often based on changes in DNA methylation – modifications to DNA that accumulate with age and affect how genes function. By monitoring these changes, scientists can track the pace of aging and potentially predict mortality. Epigenetic clocks are used to estimate biological aging.

Study Findings

Participants who took a daily multivitamin experienced a statistically significant slowing of biological aging by approximately four months compared to those who received a placebo. This benefit was more pronounced in individuals whose biological age was greater than their chronological age at the start of the trial. The study also indicated that cocoa extract alone did not have a measurable effect on biological aging.

Expert Commentary

“There is a lot of interest today in identifying ways to not just live longer, but to live better,” said Howard Sesso, ScD, MPH, associate director of the Division of Preventive Medicine in the Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine and senior author of the study. “It was exciting to see the 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.” Dr. Sesso cautioned that the findings do not necessarily mean all older adults should immediately begin taking multivitamins, emphasizing the need for further research to determine who benefits most.

Future Research

Researchers plan to conduct follow-up studies to determine if the observed slowing of biological aging persists after the trial concludes and to identify additional epigenetic clocks that may be affected by multivitamin supplementation. Yanbin Dong, study co-author and researcher at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, stated, “We plan to do follow-up research to determine if the slowing of biological aging — observed through these five epigenetic clocks, and additional or new ones — persists after the trial ends.”

This research offers a promising avenue for exploring accessible and safe interventions to promote healthier aging, but further investigation is needed to fully understand the clinical relevance of these findings.