{"id":472685,"date":"2026-03-13T03:44:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T03:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/472685\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T03:44:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T03:44:16","slug":"daily-multivitamin-may-slow-process-by-4-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/472685\/","title":{"rendered":"Daily Multivitamin May Slow Process by 4 Months"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AShare on Pinterest<\/a>Research has shown that taking a daily multivitamin may slow biological aging in older adults. Image Credit: Olga Pankova\/Getty ImagesA recent study has found that taking a daily multivitamin may slow biological aging. The researchers note that multivitamins don\u2019t necessarily add time to your life span, but may improve your overall health in the long-term.Multivitamins are not a magic fix, but can be beneficial when combined with other healthy lifestyle habits. <\/p>\n

People take multivitamins for various reasons. These supplements can have various health benefits, including<\/a> increasing nutrient intake, improving health and preventing chronic conditions, and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. <\/p>\n

A recent study published in Nature Medicine<\/a> has found that taking a daily multivitamin may slightly slow the aging process in older adults. <\/p>\n

This study was funded in part by Haleon (formerly Pfizer Consumer Healthcare) and Mars Inc. These companies provided the multivitamins and cocoa extract, and two of the study\u2019s authors received funding from both companies, neither of which contributed to research design.<\/p>\n

The study findings show that those who took a daily multivitamin<\/a> reduced biological aging by up to 4 months. <\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough everyone ages over time, there may be simple ways to delay the aging process and help us live not only longer but also better,\u201d said study author Sidong Li<\/a>, MD, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital, Boston, MA, told Healthline. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn this study, we found that daily multivitamin-multimineral supplementation could be an accessible and low cost strategy that promotes healthier aging, particularly for people who are already biologically older,\u201d Li told healthline.<\/p>\n

The study analyzed 958 older adults ages 60 and older over 2 years. The participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups and took the following pills: <\/p>\n

cocoa extract and a multivitamina multivitamin and a placebo cocoa extract and a placebotwo placebos<\/p>\n

The researchers found that those who took a daily multivitamin<\/a> experienced a slowing of biological aging of about 4 months. This means that over the course of 24 months, these individuals aged about 20 months at the cellular level. <\/p>\n

Researchers used five \u201cepigenetic clocks\u201d to estimate the biological aging of the participants. <\/p>\n

When compared to the placebo group, the people who took multivitamins<\/a> aged slightly slower, as shown by two of the five clocks. <\/p>\n

The researchers also found that those who showed signs of accelerated biological aging at the beginning of the study appeared to see a greater benefit from the multivitamins<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to keep the magnitude of the effect in perspective,\u201d said Michelle Routhenstein<\/a>, preventive cardiology dietitian at EntirelyNourished, who was not involved in the study.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are changes in biomarkers, not direct evidence of fewer heart attacks, cancers, or longer life span. So I would view the findings as encouraging but still preliminary,\u201d Routhenstein told Healthline.<\/p>\n

The researchers also found that the cocoa extract has no effect on any of the measures of biological aging. <\/p>\n

The researchers note that this doesn\u2019t mean that multivitamins can add to your life span. It does, however, mean that multivitamins may be beneficial for your future health trajectory. It also doesn\u2019t mean you should definitely start taking multivitamins if you aren\u2019t already. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was exciting to see that a multivitamin has benefits on the biological aging process in older adults. However, we should keep in mind that maintaining a healthy lifestyle remains fundamental to healthier, higher-quality aging,\u201d said Li. <\/p>\n

The decision to take supplements, like multivitamins, should be made by an individual and their healthcare professional. <\/p>\n

There are many things to consider when selecting multivitamins. <\/p>\n

One major thing is that multivitamins and supplements are not strictly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means that some multivitamins may contain higher or lower levels of nutrients than what is stated on the label. <\/p>\n

Multivitamins may contain<\/a> about 12 vitamins and 10 essential minerals. <\/p>\n

Some multivitamins and supplements may contain ingredients that could interact<\/a> with medications. This is why it is important to speak with your healthcare professional before taking any supplement. <\/p>\n

\u201cSupplements should complement, not replace, a nutrient-dense diet. Multivitamins are often most helpful for people with dietary gaps, restricted eating patterns, or increased nutrient needs,\u201d said Routhenstein. <\/p>\n

She also stated that people should \u201cChoose a formulation that matches your age and health status and focuses on appropriate dosing.\u201d <\/p>\n

However, the guidelines also note that some older adults may need fewer calories, but still require equal or greater amounts of key nutrients. <\/p>\n

This means you may need to focus on increasing your protein intake. Many older adults are also deficient in Vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D. <\/p>\n

These individuals may need to discuss taking a multivitamin or other supplements with their healthcare professional, as they may not be able to get the required amounts from their diet, and needs can vary between males<\/a> and females<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest contributors to healthy aging<\/a> are well established,\u201d said Routhenstein. <\/p>\n

She added that they include: <\/p>\n

\u201cThese lifestyle factors have a far greater effect on long-term health than any single supplement,\u201d Routhenstein said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Share on PinterestResearch has shown that taking a daily multivitamin may slow biological aging in older adults. Image…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":472686,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[59,102,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-472685","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-gb","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=472685"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472685\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/472686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=472685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=472685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=472685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}