WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - New research indicates that consistent use of multivitamins could help reduce the pace of biological aging, which refers to how the body ages at the cellular level rather than simply by the number of years a person has lived.
'This study opens the door to learning more about accessible, safe interventions that contribute to healthier, higher-quality aging,' said senior author Howard Sesso, associate director of Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine's Division of Preventive Medicine.
The research was part of the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS), a large trial conducted by Brigham and Women's Hospital. The broader study aimed to examine whether cocoa extract or multivitamin supplements could help reduce the risk of conditions such as cancer and heart disease. For this analysis, researchers focused on a group of healthy older adults, including men aged 60 and above and women aged 65 and older, with an average age of about 70.
The study involved 958 older adult participants, who were randomly assigned to one of four groups. Each group took a different combination of supplements daily - cocoa extract and a multivitamin, a multivitamin alone, cocoa extract alone, or a placebo.
After two years, scientists measured participants' biological aging using five different 'epigenetic clocks.' These biomarkers track subtle chemical changes in DNA over time and are widely used by researchers to estimate how quickly the body is aging at a molecular level.
When compared with participants who took only a placebo, those who took multivitamins showed slightly slower biological aging on two of the five epigenetic measures. One measure, known as PCGrimAge,suggested aging slowed by about 1.4 months, while another called PCPhenoAge showed a slowdown of roughly 2.6 months. According to researchers, these biomarkers are considered 'second-generation clocks' because they are designed to estimate long-term health risks and mortality.
Interestingly, participants who already showed signs of accelerated biological aging at the start of the study experienced an even greater benefit. In this group, the PCGrimAge measure indicated a slowdown of about 2.8 months.
Meanwhile, cocoa extract supplements did not appear to influence biological aging in any of the five measurements used in the study. While the effects of multivitamins were modest, the findings suggest that certain nutritional supplements could play a small role in supporting healthier aging over time.
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