Diseases & conditions

Study: Daily Multivitamin Slows Biological Aging

Do multivitamins meaningfully slow aging or is the effect too minimal to matter?

Published MAR 10

Study: Daily Multivitamin Slows Biological Aging

Story

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The Facts

A study by Mass General Brigham has found that taking a daily multivitamin for two years slowed biological aging in older adults by approximately four months. The research analyzed DNA methylation data from 958 healthy participants with an average age of 70.
The Telegraph
Guardian
The study, published in Nature Medicine on Monday, measured five epigenetic clocks, finding statistically significant slowing in two clocks predictive of mortality. Three other epigenetic clocks showed no statistically significant change.
Nature
Mass General Brigham
Scientific American
Participants who were biologically older than their chronological age at the start of the study experienced the greatest benefits from multivitamin supplementation. The effect was strongest among people already aging biologically faster than their actual age.
Mass General Brigham
Daily Mail
The study's senior author, Dr. Howard Sesso, stated that a daily multivitamin is safe and well-tolerated, but emphasized consulting health care providers. He recommended avoiding customized, costly specialty multivitamins and keeping supplementation simple and broad-based.
The Telegraph
Daily Mail
Researchers noted that the study measured DNA markers linked to aging rather than actual lifespan or disease risk. Further studies are needed to determine if improvements in biological aging translate into meaningful clinical benefits and reduced age-related illness.
Scientific American
Guardian
The Times (UK)
Biological age is determined by cellular health rather than chronological age, with DNA acquiring molecular tags that affect gene function over time. Environmental factors such as smoking and poor diet can accelerate this process, while healthy habits may slow it down.
Nature
The Telegraph

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Daily multivitamins genuinely slow biological aging in older adults, with rigorous research showing a four-month reduction in cellular aging over two years. The effect is particularly pronounced for those already experiencing accelerated aging, suggesting that multivitamins address real nutritional gaps that impact longevity. This is a meaningful breakthrough connecting supplements to measurable health outcomes.

Science Media Centre España

Dr. Rhonda Patrick on X

Narrative B

The biological aging effect from multivitamins is so minimal that it barely registers as meaningful, with changes amounting to just a few months across limited markers that remain indirect biomarkers of uncertain clinical significance. Two years is far too short to assess cumulative aging processes, and these results suggest that multivitamins play only a complementary role rather than offering decisive health benefits.

NBC