By Dr. Asnat Raziel, bariatric surgeon specializing in obesity treatment, metabolic health and healthy longevity; Director of the Multidisciplinary Center for Obesity Treatment, Assia Medical, Assuta Ramat HaChayal, Tel Aviv
Multivitamin and aging: what the new study found
A link between a multivitamin and aging is something few people would expect. When we talk about longevity medicine, we usually think of cutting-edge drugs, biological clocks, rapamycin or NAD. However, a study published in March 2026 in Nature Medicine brings us back to a basic question. Does a daily vitamin and mineral pill affect the pace of biological aging?
The first answer is intriguing: perhaps yes, but modestly, and not for everyone. The study included 958 older women and men who took either a Centrum Silver multivitamin or a placebo for two years. To measure the effect, the researchers used five epigenetic clocks, that is, blood markers that estimate biological age.
What exactly did the researchers find?
First, this is not a halt to aging, and it does not turn the clock back ten years. Of the five clocks, the multivitamin slowed the change in two second-generation clocks, PCGrimAge and PCPhenoAge, by a small but significant amount. Each year, the gap versus placebo was 0.113 years on PCGrimAge and 0.214 years on PCPhenoAge. In other words, over two years we are talking about a few months of epigenetic aging.
That sounds like very little, and indeed the effect is modest. Even so, the finding is scientifically interesting. The supplement they tested is not an experimental drug but an ordinary multivitamin at standard nutritional levels. In addition, the cocoa extract tested in the same study had no effect on any of the clocks.
Another finding especially caught my attention. In participants who were already “biologically older” than their age at the start, the effect on PCGrimAge was much stronger: 0.236 years per year. So the benefit of filling nutritional gaps may not be the same for everyone. Instead, it may stand out when there are deficiencies, or when the body is already under strain.
What are epigenetic clocks?
Our DNA sequence barely changes with age, but the way it works does. One way the body controls genes is DNA methylation: small chemical tags that switch genes on and off. Methylation patterns shift in typical ways over the years. Based on these patterns, researchers have developed clocks that estimate how far the body has aged, rather than just counting years.
Here, though, we need to be careful. An improvement on an epigenetic clock is not proof of a longer life. The clocks are surrogate markers, and it is still unclear whether a small change in them will translate into less disease or more years of healthy life.
Multivitamin and aging: are we missing something basic?
To me, this is one of the study’s most important insights. The body needs vitamins and minerals in small amounts, yet they take part in thousands of processes. These include energy production, DNA repair, the immune system, nerve function, bone building and mitochondrial function. And still, a modern diet does not guarantee that we get all of them.
For example, a global analysis published in The Lancet Global Health estimated intake of 15 essential micronutrients. According to this estimate, more than 5 billion people do not get enough iodine, vitamin E and calcium. In addition, more than 4 billion do not get enough iron and vitamin C. So perhaps the first step is not to add something special, but to make sure the body is not missing something basic.
What about the brain?
The COSMOS study does not stand alone. In a randomized trial of 3,562 older adults, a daily multivitamin slightly improved memory compared with placebo. The researchers estimated that the improvement equaled 3.1 years of age-related memory change. This is a statistical estimate, and it does not mean the brain is “three years younger.”
Moreover, a pooled analysis of three cognition studies within COSMOS showed a benefit for global cognition and memory. According to the researchers, the effect on global cognition equals about two years of slower cognitive aging. This is still not a treatment for dementia. Nevertheless, it supports the idea that good nutrition matters for the aging brain.
Does a multivitamin extend life?
Here it is important to draw a clear line. As of today, there is no proof that a daily multivitamin extends life in a healthy person. A cohort study published in 2024 in JAMA Network Open followed 390,124 adults and found no link between a daily multivitamin and lower mortality.
Likewise, the original COSMOS trial showed no significant drop in total cancer or in cardiovascular events. Accordingly, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) states that the evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against multivitamins to prevent heart disease or cancer. In other words, a multivitamin is not a longevity pill. At most, it may be one small piece of the puzzle.
Who should pay special attention?
As we age, we often eat less, and the variety on our plate shrinks. On top of that, our ability to absorb some nutrients declines. Vitamin B12 is a good example. According to the US National Institutes of Health, the risk of deficiency rises in older adults, vegans and people who have had gastrointestinal surgery. Drugs such as metformin and stomach acid blockers can also lower vitamin levels.
Similarly, the risk of low vitamin D rises with age. A vegan diet, absorption problems and bariatric surgery also call for special attention. Sometimes a regular multivitamin is not enough, and you may need a targeted supplement at a tailored dose, based on blood tests and medical follow-up.
Multivitamin and aging: not every supplement is the same
The study tested one product, Centrum Silver, and not every supplement on the shelf. Different products contain very different doses. Therefore, a high dose is not necessarily better. Taking high doses without a need is not a longevity strategy, and it can sometimes even cause harm. The goal of a supplement is to close nutritional gaps, not to create a “super-body.”
Multivitamin and aging in practice: what to do
Instead of asking “Which supplement will extend my life?”, it is worth asking a different question. Is my body getting the raw materials it needs? First, build a high-quality diet: vegetables and fruit in different colors, legumes, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, quality protein and fish.
Next, look at your personal picture: age, medications, chronic conditions, past surgeries, muscle mass and blood tests. Finally, only then consider a basic multivitamin or a targeted fix for a specific deficiency.
The bottom line
The new study does not prove that a multivitamin extends life. Nor does it replace a healthy diet, strength training and aerobic exercise, good sleep, social connections and not smoking. Still, the link between a multivitamin and aging reminds us of an important idea. Healthy aging begins with the basic conditions the body needs to repair and rebuild itself. Sometimes even a simple step, such as preventing a nutritional deficiency, leaves a mark we can measure on the biological clock.
The information in this article is general and does not replace personal medical advice.
References
Global estimation of dietary micronutrient inadequacies: a modelling analysis
Multivitamin Supplementation Improves Memory in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Multivitamin Use and Mortality Risk in 3 Prospective US Cohorts
Vitamin, Mineral, and Multivitamin Supplementation to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer
