Taking a daily multivitamin for two years may help slow biological aging in older adults, according to a new study led by researchers from the U.S. healthcare system Mass General Brigham. The findings were published in the scientific journal Nature Medicine.
Researchers note that biological age — the rate at which the body ages at a cellular level — does not always match a person’s chronological age. Using data from a large randomized clinical trial involving older adults, the team examined how daily multivitamin intake affected five key indicators of biological aging over a two-year period.
“The study paves the way for further investigation into accessible and safe interventions that could support healthier aging,” said lead author Howard Sesso, associate director of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Mass General Brigham.
Study design
The research drew on data from the large clinical trial Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS). Scientists analyzed DNA methylation data from blood samples collected from 958 healthy participants, whose average age was about 70 years.
Participants were divided into four groups:
- those taking both cocoa extract and a multivitamin daily
- those taking cocoa extract and a placebo
- those taking a multivitamin and a placebo
- those taking only a placebo
Blood samples were analyzed at the beginning of the study, after the first year, and after the second year, allowing researchers to track changes in five different epigenetic markers of aging.
Key findings
Compared with participants who received only a placebo, those who took a daily multivitamin showed slower biological aging across all five markers examined. For two of these markers—both associated with predicting mortality risk—the difference was statistically significant.
Overall, the changes corresponded to roughly four months less biological aging over a two-year period. The greatest benefits were observed among participants whose biological age initially exceeded their chronological age.
In contrast, cocoa extract showed no measurable effect on the five epigenetic markers analyzed in the study.
Researchers plan to investigate whether the benefits of daily multivitamin use may extend to other health areas where early evidence has already suggested potential positive effects, including improved cognitive function and reduced risks of cancer and cataracts.