United States: A new study suggests that taking a daily multivitamin for two years may slightly slow certain markers of biological ageing, though researchers stress the effect is small and its real health benefits remain uncertain.
Unlike chronological age, which measures how long a person has lived, biological age reflects the condition of the body’s cells and tissues. Scientists often estimate biological ageing through changes in DNA methylation, chemical modifications to DNA that influence how genes function and tend to accumulate as people grow older.
Researchers in the United States analysed data from 958 healthy participants with an average age of around 70. The participants were divided into four groups and assigned different combinations of daily multivitamins, cocoa extract, or placebos.
Blood samples were collected at the start of the study and again after one and two years to examine changes in five epigenetic clocks, tools used to measure biological ageing through DNA methylation patterns.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, showed that participants who took a daily multivitamin experienced a slowdown in biological ageing according to two of the five epigenetic clocks, particularly those linked to mortality risk. Overall, the difference equated to about four months less biological ageing over two years compared with those who took a placebo.
Dr. Howard Sesso, senior author of the study and an epidemiologist at Mass General Brigham, said the results should not be interpreted as a recommendation for everyone to start taking multivitamins. Researchers noted that the benefits appeared greater among participants who had faster biological ageing at the beginning of the study, possibly because they had nutritional deficiencies that multivitamins helped address.
The study also tested cocoa extract supplements, but researchers found no evidence that cocoa extract slowed biological ageing or enhanced the effects of multivitamins.
Despite the findings, scientists and external experts emphasised that the observed effects were modest. Experts from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health said the results were small and their clinical significance remains uncertain.
Dr. Marco Di Antonio, a biological ageing expert at Imperial College London who was not involved in the research, said the link between epigenetic clocks and real-world health outcomes is still unclear. Dr. Antonio added that supplements alone are unlikely to counteract unhealthy habits.
Some experts remain sceptical about the benefits of supplements. Dr. Pilar Guallar-Castillón from the Autonomous University of Madrid noted that related clinical trials found no effect of multivitamins on major causes of death or disease.
Researchers say further studies are needed to determine whether the small changes seen in biological ageing markers translate into meaningful improvements in health or longevity.
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