A new study suggests that taking a daily multivitamin could slow biological aging.
Researchers with Mass General Brigham found that taking a multivitamin slowed biological aging by about four months, with the biggest benefits seen in people who were biologically older at the start. The study followed users of Centrum Silver for two years.
The vitamin contains several dozen micronutrients, including vitamins A, C and D, along with iron and calcium.
Researchers measured DNA methylation to detect changes to a person’s biological clock.
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The findings also suggest that the multivitamin can improve short-term health.
“There is a lot of interest today in identifying ways to not just live longer, but to live better,” said senior author Howard Sesso, associate director of the Division of Preventive Medicine in the Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine. “It was exciting to see the benefits of a multivitamin linked with markers of biological aging. This study opens the door to learning more about accessible, safe interventions that contribute to healthier, higher-quality aging.”
Scientists now want to know whether taking multivitamins can improve long-term health and reduce cancer risk. They’re also interested in whether multivitamins can improve cognition with age.
“A lot of people take a multivitamin without necessarily knowing any benefits from taking it, so the more we can learn about its potential health benefits, the better,” Sesso said. “Within COSMOS, we are fortunate and excited to build upon a rich resource of biomarker data to test how two interventions may improve biological aging and reduce age-related clinical outcomes.”
The findings come as more Americans are living well into their 60s and beyond. According to U.S. Census data, one in six Americans was age 65 or older as of 2020. In 1920, only one in 20 Americans reached that age.
The proportion of older Americans is expected to rise steadily in the coming decades, Census projections show. As of 2025, there were an estimated 7 million Americans age 85 or older. By 2050, that number is expected to approach 17.6 million.
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