A Harvard study published in Nature Medicine suggests that taking a daily multivitamin may slow biological ageing.
Our biological age—how fast our bodies age at the cellular level—can differ from our actual age. Scientists estimate biological ageing using epigenetic clocks, which measure small changes in DNA. These clocks examine specific sites in DNA that regulate how genes function, known as DNA methylation. These changes occur naturally as we age and can help track the pace of ageing and risk of mortality.
The study followed 958 healthy participants with an average age of 70. They were randomly assigned to one of four groups: a daily cocoa extract and multivitamin, cocoa extract with a placebo, a multivitamin with a placebo, or two placebos.
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Blood samples were analysed for changes on five measures of biological ageing at the start of the study and at the end of the first and second years.
Participants taking the multivitamin showed slower ageing across all five measures, including the two most strongly linked to mortality risk. Overall, the effect was equivalent to about four months less biological ageing over two years. Those who were biologically older than their chronological age at the start of the study experienced the greatest benefit.
“There is a lot of interest today in identifying ways to not just live longer, but to live better,” the study’s senior author said. “It was exciting to see the benefits of a multivitamin linked with markers of biological ageing. This study opens the door to learning more about accessible, safe interventions that contribute to healthier, higher-quality ageing.”