A vitamin a day keeps the doctor away.
Taking daily vitamins could help you live longer
Taking daily supplements may help slow down the body’s biological clock, even if only by a few months.
Unlike chronological age, which counts the years we’ve lived, biological age reflects how our bodies are functioning at a cellular level.
Researchers estimate it using DNA methylation, chemical changes that accumulate with age and influence how genes behave. Slowing these changes could help protect against age-related conditions and maintain health for longer.
A US study published in Nature Medicine tracked 958 adults averaging 70 years old over two years. Participants were randomly assigned to take either multivitamins, cocoa extract, combinations of both, or placebos. Blood tests measured five “epigenetic clocks,” indicators designed to estimate biological ageing.
Dr Howard Sesso, epidemiologist at Mass General Brigham and senior author, told The Guardian: “There are no known risks for taking a multivitamin in our two large clinical trials. At the same time, we do not know for sure who benefits, and how.”
Compared with placebo, those taking daily multivitamins experienced a small slowdown in two of the five ageing measures, particularly those linked to mortality risk. On average, this amounted to roughly four months less biological ageing over two years.
Participants whose biological age was advancing faster initially appeared to benefit more, possibly because of pre-existing nutritional gaps. Cocoa extract showed no measurable effect.
Experts stress the results are modest.
Dr Marco Di Antonio of Imperial College London said: “Taking multivitamins daily will be pointless if there is not a healthy lifestyle associated with it, as bad habits will have a negative impact on ageing too that won’t be reverted by multivitamins.”
While multivitamins may modestly slow certain markers of ageing, maintaining a balanced diet and regular exercise remains the most effective way to support long-term health and longevity.
Dr Pilar Guallar Castillón, from the Autonomous University of Madrid, added: “Eat a healthy, varied diet rich in fruit and vegetables, and do not waste your money on nutritional supplements. There are huge commercial interests in their consumption and a lack of clinical evidence.”