WARREN, N.J. — A new study published in Nature Medicine suggests that taking a daily multivitamin may slow certain markers of biological aging, according to researchers analyzing data from a large clinical trial.
The findings come from an ancillary analysis of the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study, known as COSMOS, a randomized clinical trial designed to examine how daily multivitamin use may influence biological aging over time. The research was led by scientists at Mass General Brigham and Augusta University.
Biological aging refers to how well the body functions at the cellular level and can provide insight into overall health span beyond a person’s chronological age. In the study, researchers evaluated five DNA-based epigenetic “clocks,” which track molecular changes in DNA that occur as people age.
Participants who took a daily multivitamin showed slower biological aging across all five epigenetic clocks compared with those receiving only a placebo. Researchers reported statistically significant slowing in two clocks associated with mortality risk.
The study authors said the changes corresponded to roughly four months less biological aging over a two-year period.
The results were strongest among participants who had signs of accelerated biological aging at the start of the study, suggesting those individuals may benefit more from multivitamin use. Researchers emphasized that further studies are needed to determine whether the observed changes translate into long-term health benefits.
The ancillary study included nearly 1,000 older adults, including men aged 60 and older and women aged 65 and older, who were followed for two years.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: daily multivitamin and cocoa extract, multivitamin with placebo, cocoa extract with placebo or placebo only. Researchers then measured changes in biological aging using the epigenetic clocks.
“This COSMOS ancillary study provides new insight into how a daily multivitamin like Centrum Silver may relate to biological aging measures, complementing existing research on cognition and overall nutritional support,” said Alpa V. Shah, Senior Director of Medical & Scientific Affairs at Haleon.
The Centrum Silver multivitamin was used in the study. Haleon said the product, along with placebo and packaging, was provided for the COSMOS trials as part of ongoing nutrition research.
Centrum has supported nutritional research for more than four decades and is widely used as a daily multivitamin designed to support general health and aging.
