Daily multivitamins may slow certain markers of biological aging, according to new research.
In the study, published Monday in Nature Medicine, researchers found older adults taking a daily supplement for two years slowed biological aging by about four months compared with those who didn’t take them.
Biological age is a term used to describe someone's health and cellular function, which doesn't always match their actual, or chronological, age.
The findings came from blood samples of 958 participants with an average chronological age of 70, who were taking the multivitamin–multimineral supplement Centrum Silver. The study supplements and placebos were provided by Haleon, formerly Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, who partially funded the research, the study disclosed.
The study was part of a large trial designed to show whether cocoa extract or multivitamins reduce the risk of developing cancer and heart disease. Cocoa extract, provided by Mars Inc. for the study, did not have an effect on the five epigenetic clocks tested, according to the results.
Senior author Howard Sesso, associate director of Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine's Division of Preventive Medicine, called the findings exciting, but said it's too early to link the data to clinical outcomes.
"This study opens the door to learning more about accessible, safe interventions that contribute to healthier, higher-quality aging," he said in a news release.
There's no single definition of biological age. This study examined five different measures of biological aging, for example, and there has been no definitive research to prove faster biological aging results in early death.
