A recent clinical trial conducted by researchers at Mass General Brigham indicates that daily multivitamin intake may contribute to slower biological aging in older adults, particularly among those whose biological age was greater than their chronological age at the study's outset. The study, published in Nature Medicine, analyzed data from the COcoa Supplement Multivitamins Outcomes Study (COSMOS), involving 958 healthy participants with an average age of 70.
The researchers employed "epigenetic clocks," which assess biological aging by examining DNA methylation—small chemical changes in DNA that correlate with age. After two years of multivitamin use, participants displayed an approximate reduction of four months in biological aging compared to those who received placebo treatments. Notably, two of the epigenetic clocks used in the analysis, which are linked to mortality risk, showed statistically significant results favoring the multivitamin group.
Howard Sesso, the senior author of the study, emphasized the growing interest in finding ways to enhance the quality of aging, stating that the findings may lead to further exploration of safe and accessible interventions. The study's follow-up research will investigate whether the observed effects on biological aging persist post-trial.
Researchers acknowledge that further studies are required to understand the implications of slowed biological aging on long-term health outcomes, including cognitive function and the risks of diseases such as cancer and cataracts. While many individuals take multivitamins without clarity on their benefits, the research aims to clarify the potential health advantages of such supplements for older adults.
The study received funding from the National Institutes of Health and was supported by donations from Mars Edge and Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. The funding organizations did not influence the study design or outcomes.