What is the story about?
Can taking a multivitamin slow some signs of ageing for older adults? The answer may be yes, according to new research. While the study shows that taking a daily multivitamin could boost longevity, however, it's result are not conclusive. The findings were published in
Nature Medicine.
The research was conducted as part of the Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS), a major clinical trial led by Brigham and Women’s Hospital to examine whether cocoa extract and/or multivitamins reduce the risk of developing cancer and heart disease.
We take a look.
A randomised clinical trial of 958 adults aged 60 or older was conducted. Researchers collected blood samples from participants at the start of the trial and again after one and two years. The samples were then analysed to track changes across five DNA methylation markers, aka “epigenetic clocks.”
Researchers discovered that taking a multivitamin–multimineral supplement for two years slightly slowed two molecular indicators of ageing in the body, known as “epigenetic clocks.”
Among participants who took the supplement, the pace at which these biological clocks advanced slowed by about 1.5 to two months per year compared with those who took a placebo (a dummy pill with no real effect). According to a Sciam report, the researchers wrote in the paper that more research is required to fathom how multivitamins affect
biological ageing.
“Ultimately, it is critical to determine the clinical relevance of our findings,” the authors wrote, as quoted by the Guardian.
The authors also noted that "Additional trials are needed to confirm these findings and determine the role of multivitamins in extending healthy ageing not only among older adults, but also across the lifespan," Sciam reported.
Dr Howard Sesso, an epidemiologist at Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine and senior author of the work, asserted that these findings do not indicate that all older adults must take multivitamins.
“There are no known risks for taking a multivitamin in our two large clinical trials. At the same time, we do not know for sure who benefits, and how,” he added.
According to him, "healthy ageing doesn’t come down to one single thing; it’s a multifaceted process that requires being mindful of your holistic health."
"The study doesn’t take anything away from the importance of a good, balanced, diverse, colourful diet," he said.
Health experts who were not part of the new study issued warnings. While researchers observed an effect in two epigenetic clocks, PCPhenoAge and PCGrimAge, the other three clocks examined in the study showed no statistically significant change to their speed, according to reports.
José Ordovás, a professor of nutrition and genetics at Tufts University, US, and who was not involved in the study, said, "The multivitamin produced small favourable changes in two epigenetic ageing markers, but not across all the clocks that were measured," according to a media outlet.
Adding, "That makes the finding interesting, but it is still far from showing that multivitamins broadly slow ageing or improve longevity.”
Zachary Clayton, another assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz, who was not a part of the study, said, "The main strength of the study was that researchers carefully matched the characteristics of people in the vitamin group to those in the placebo group..."
However, he said, "The magnitude of the observed differences was modest, and their clinical significance remains uncertain."
Danica Chen, a professor of metabolic biology, nutritional sciences and toxicology at the University of California, Berkeley, who has been studying ageing for over 20 years, asserted, "We do not know yet whether multivitamins have an effect in improving tissue function or reducing disease risk."
"My personal advice is to stop taking multivitamins, whether in pill or gummy form. Eat a healthy, varied diet rich in fruit and vegetables, and do not waste your money on nutritional supplements. There are huge commercial interests in their consumption and a lack of clinical evidence," said Dr Pilar Guallar Castillón, an associate professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid, rejecting the effect of multivitamins on ageing, the
Guardian reported.
With inputs from agencies
The research was conducted as part of the Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS), a major clinical trial led by Brigham and Women’s Hospital to examine whether cocoa extract and/or multivitamins reduce the risk of developing cancer and heart disease.
We take a look.
What does the new study suggest?
A randomised clinical trial of 958 adults aged 60 or older was conducted. Researchers collected blood samples from participants at the start of the trial and again after one and two years. The samples were then analysed to track changes across five DNA methylation markers, aka “epigenetic clocks.”
Researchers discovered that taking a multivitamin–multimineral supplement for two years slightly slowed two molecular indicators of ageing in the body, known as “epigenetic clocks.”
Howard Sesso, the senior author of the study, cautioned that the results don’t mean a multivitamin adds four months to a person’s lifespan. Image courtesy: Pixabay
Among participants who took the supplement, the pace at which these biological clocks advanced slowed by about 1.5 to two months per year compared with those who took a placebo (a dummy pill with no real effect). According to a Sciam report, the researchers wrote in the paper that more research is required to fathom how multivitamins affect
“Ultimately, it is critical to determine the clinical relevance of our findings,” the authors wrote, as quoted by the Guardian.
The authors also noted that "Additional trials are needed to confirm these findings and determine the role of multivitamins in extending healthy ageing not only among older adults, but also across the lifespan," Sciam reported.
What does the senior author of the study say?
Dr Howard Sesso, an epidemiologist at Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine and senior author of the work, asserted that these findings do not indicate that all older adults must take multivitamins.
“There are no known risks for taking a multivitamin in our two large clinical trials. At the same time, we do not know for sure who benefits, and how,” he added.
According to him, "healthy ageing doesn’t come down to one single thing; it’s a multifaceted process that requires being mindful of your holistic health."
"The study doesn’t take anything away from the importance of a good, balanced, diverse, colourful diet," he said.
Why have experts urged caution?
Health experts who were not part of the new study issued warnings. While researchers observed an effect in two epigenetic clocks, PCPhenoAge and PCGrimAge, the other three clocks examined in the study showed no statistically significant change to their speed, according to reports.
José Ordovás, a professor of nutrition and genetics at Tufts University, US, and who was not involved in the study, said, "The multivitamin produced small favourable changes in two epigenetic ageing markers, but not across all the clocks that were measured," according to a media outlet.
Adding, "That makes the finding interesting, but it is still far from showing that multivitamins broadly slow ageing or improve longevity.”
For older adults, a daily multivitamin may slightly slow the ageing process, the new study suggests. Image courtesy: Pixabay
Zachary Clayton, another assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz, who was not a part of the study, said, "The main strength of the study was that researchers carefully matched the characteristics of people in the vitamin group to those in the placebo group..."
However, he said, "The magnitude of the observed differences was modest, and their clinical significance remains uncertain."
Danica Chen, a professor of metabolic biology, nutritional sciences and toxicology at the University of California, Berkeley, who has been studying ageing for over 20 years, asserted, "We do not know yet whether multivitamins have an effect in improving tissue function or reducing disease risk."
"My personal advice is to stop taking multivitamins, whether in pill or gummy form. Eat a healthy, varied diet rich in fruit and vegetables, and do not waste your money on nutritional supplements. There are huge commercial interests in their consumption and a lack of clinical evidence," said Dr Pilar Guallar Castillón, an associate professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid, rejecting the effect of multivitamins on ageing, the
With inputs from agencies
