Featured in Science Digest #168

A daily multivitamin slowed measures of biological aging in older adults. Digest

doi.org
2 min read •

Multivitamins are among the most widely used dietary supplements, yet evidence that they influence biological aging remains limited. To see whether a simple daily multivitamin could affect that process, researchers tracked changes in epigenetic clocks, which are blood-based tools that estimate biological aging using chemical marks on DNA that influence how genes are used.

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This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial included 958 generally healthy participants from the COSMOS study, with an average age of 70. Blood samples were collected at the start of the study, after one year, and after two years. Participants were assigned to one of four groups: a daily multivitamin–mineral supplement, a daily cocoa extract containing 500 milligrams of cocoa flavanols including 80 milligrams of epicatechin, both supplements, or matching placebos.

  • Over two years, the multivitamin slowed changes in two epigenetic clocks, PCPhenoAge and PCGrimAge. This corresponded to roughly 2.7 to 5.1 fewer months of biological aging over the study period.
  • The strongest effects appeared in participants who already showed faster biological aging at the start of the trial.
  • The multivitamin also affected parts of the epigenetic clock GrimAge, with changes in DNA patterns linked to telomere length (the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes) as well as beta-2 microglobulin, cystatin C, and growth differentiation factor 15, which are markers associated with inflammation, kidney function, and mitochondrial dysfunction.
  • However, the multivitamin did not produce clear effects on three other epigenetic clocks: PCHorvath, PCHannum, or DunedinPACE.
  • An exploratory analysis of a subset of participants showed that those with lower nutrient-related biomarkers at the start of the study tended to show faster epigenetic aging, and larger improvements in those biomarkers were linked to more favorable changes in the aging clocks; in people with faster aging at baseline, the multivitamin especially increased folate and lutein.
  • Cocoa extract did not slow aging on any of the five clocks.

Vitamins and minerals participate in biological processes that shape molecular aging signals, including gene regulation, antioxidant defense, and the control of cellular stress. Inadequate micronutrient availability can disrupt these systems, contributing to chronic inflammation, oxidative damage, and metabolic strain, all processes linked to accelerated biological aging. Because epigenetic clocks capture patterns across many of these physiological signals, improvements in overall nutrient status could plausibly shift them.

These clocks are still indirect markers rather than direct measures of disease or lifespan. That means the real-world health importance of these changes remains uncertain. Even so, the findings add to growing evidence from the COSMOS trial that daily multivitamin use may improve biological markers linked to aging and chronic disease risk. In this clip, the late Bruce Ames explains why taking a multivitamin-mineral supplement can serve as nutritional insurance for your diet.