Scientists say a daily multivitamin may help slow aging
Key takeaways
- A large clinical trial suggests that taking a daily multivitamin could help slow biological aging in older adults, especially in people whose bodies were aging faster than expected at the start of the study.
- The effect was equal to roughly four fewer months of biological aging over the course of the study.
- "It was exciting to see benefits of a multivitamin linked with markers of biological aging.
Why this matters: new research or scientific developments with potential real-world impact.
A large clinical trial suggests that taking a daily multivitamin could help slow biological aging in older adults, especially in people whose bodies were aging faster than expected at the start of the study.
Researchers from Mass General Brigham analyzed data from older adults who participated in a randomized clinical trial and found that two years of multivitamin use was linked to slower biological aging across several DNA-based measurements. The effect was equal to roughly four fewer months of biological aging over the course of the study. The findings were published in Nature Medicine.
"There is a lot of interest today in identifying ways to not just live longer, but to live better," said senior author Howard Sesso, ScD, MPH, associate director of the Division of Preventive Medicine in the Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine. "It was exciting to see benefits of a multivitamin linked with markers of biological aging. This study opens the door to learning more about accessible, safe interventions that contribute to healthier, higher-quality aging."