New Research Links Daily Multivitamins to Slower Biological Aging
In a randomized clinical trial among older adults, researchers found that taking multivitamins for two years slightly slowed epigenetic markers of aging, equating to about four fewer months of biological aging compared to a placebo.
Li and others. evaluated the effect over two years of daily multivitamin and multimineral supplements and cocoa extract (500 mg of cocoa flavanols per day, including 80 mg of epicatechin) on five DNA methylation measures of biological aging in 958 participants (482 women and 476 men) in the COSMOS study. Image credit: Ri Butov.
Epigenetic clocks estimate biological aging based on tiny changes in our DNA.
These clocks look at specific sites in our DNA that regulate gene expression and change naturally as we age, helping to track mortality and the pace of aging.
“There’s a lot of interest today in identifying ways to not only live longer, but live better,” said Dr. Howard Sesso, a researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
“It was exciting to see the benefits of a multivitamin linked to markers of biological aging.
“This study opens the door to discovering accessible and safe interventions that contribute to healthier and better aging. »
For their research, Dr. Sesso and his colleagues used data from the famous COcoa Supplement Multivitamins Outcomes Study (COSMOS).
They analyzed DNA methylation data from blood samples of 958 randomly selected healthy participants with an average chronological age of 70 years.
Participants were randomized to take cocoa extract and multivitamins daily; daily cocoa extract and placebo; placebo and multivitamins; or placebos only.
The samples were analyzed for changes in five epigenetic clocks from the start of the trial and at the end of the first and second years.
Compared to the placebo-only group, people in the multivitamin group showed a slowdown in all five epigenetic clocks, including a statistically significant slowdown observed in the two mortality-predicting clocks.
The changes equate to about four fewer months of biological aging over a two-year period.
Additionally, people who were biologically older than their actual age at the start of the trial benefited the most.
“We plan to conduct follow-up research to determine whether the slowing of biological aging – observed through these five, as well as other or new, epigenetic clocks – persists after the trial ends,” said Dr. Yanbin Dong, a researcher at Augusta University.
“Many people take a multivitamin without necessarily knowing the benefits, so the more we learn about its potential health benefits, the better,” added Dr. Sesso.
“At COSMOS, we are fortunate and excited to draw on a rich resource of biomarker data to test how two interventions can improve biological aging and reduce age-related clinical outcomes. »
An article on the results was published this week in the journal Natural medicine.
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S.Li and others. Effects of daily multivitamin-multimineral and cocoa extract supplementation on epigenetic aging clocks in the COSMOS randomized clinical trial. Nat Medpublished online March 9, 2026; doi: 10.1038/s41591-026-04239-3
