A new study suggests that taking a daily multivitamin could slightly slow the biological ageing process, offering a potential pathway to prolonging the number of years people spend in good health.
Published in the journal Nature Medicine, the research indicates that participants who took a daily multivitamin for two years showed a modest slowdown in biological ageing compared to those who received a placebo.
Unlike chronological age, which is simply a measure of time, biological age reflects the physiological state of the body and is often assessed through “epigenetic clocks.” These clocks analyze DNA methylation patterns—chemical modifications that accumulate over time and influence gene function. The theory is that by slowing this biological ageing, it may be possible to delay the onset of age-related diseases.
The study, led by researchers in the US and partially funded by confectionery manufacturer Mars, involved 958 healthy older adults with an average age of 70. Participants were divided into four groups and assigned to take either a daily cocoa extract, a daily multivitamin, a combination of both, or a placebo.
Blood samples taken at the start of the trial and again after one and two years were analyzed for changes across five different epigenetic clocks. The results showed that those taking a daily multivitamin exhibited a slowdown in biological ageing according to two of these clocks, particularly those used to estimate mortality risk. The effect equated to a reduction in biological ageing of about four months over the two-year period.
The impact appeared more pronounced in participants who had faster biological ageing at the beginning of the study. The researchers suggest this could be because these individuals may have started with greater nutritional deficits, which the multivitamin helped to correct. The cocoa extract, however, showed no effect on slowing biological ageing.
Despite the findings, the study’s authors and independent experts urge caution, emphasizing the small scale of the effect and the unclear practical benefits.
“Ultimately, it is critical to determine the clinical relevance of our findings,” the authors wrote.
Dr. Howard Sesso, an epidemiologist at Mass General Brigham and the study’s senior author, noted that the results do not mean all older adults should rush to take multivitamins. “There are no known risks for taking a multivitamin in our two large clinical trials. At the same time, we do not know for sure who benefits, and how,” he said.
Experts not involved in the research echoed the need for restraint. Dr. Marco Di Antonio, an expert in biological ageing at Imperial College London, stressed that the link between these epigenetic clocks and tangible aspects of ageing is still unclear. He warned that multivitamins are not a magic bullet. “Taking multivitamins daily will be pointless if there is not a healthy lifestyle associated with it, as bad habits will have a negative impact on ageing too that won’t be reverted by multivitamins.”
Dr. Pilar Guallar Castillón, an associate professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid, offered more direct advice. Pointing out that the clinical trial found no effect of multivitamins on major causes of death and disease, she recommended against their use. “My personal advice is to stop taking multivitamins, whether in pill or gummy form. Eat a healthy, varied diet rich in fruit and vegetables [the main natural source of vitamins and minerals], and do not waste your money on nutritional supplements.”
The researchers acknowledge that further work is needed to determine whether these modest epigenetic changes translate into meaningful clinical benefits, such as a reduced risk of heart disease, dementia, or other age-related conditions.
