Taking this multivitamin every day slows down the body clock by about four months over two years.
We don’t all age at the same rate. The age of our cells can deviate significantly from our actual age – and that’s precisely what researchers from Harvard and Mass General Brigham wanted to explore. Their results, published in Nature Medicine, are surprising: taking a multivitamin every day slows down the biological clock by around four months over two years.
The study draws on data from the large COSMOS clinical trial, which followed more than 21,000 American adults. For this specific analysis, researchers examined blood samples from 958 healthy participants, with an average age of 70 years. They measured five “epigenetic clocks” – molecular markers that allow us to estimate the true age of our cells – at the start of the trial, then after one year and two years. Compared to the placebo group, participants who took a daily multivitamin experienced slowing on all five clocks, including significant slowing on the two most predictive of mortality. “It was exciting to see the benefits of a multivitamin linked to markers of biological aging”underlined Dr. Howard Sesso, specialist in preventive medicine at Harvard and lead author of the study.
A particularly interesting detail: people whose cells immediately aged faster than their actual age benefited from double the effect. In other words, those who needed it the most seemed to benefit the most. And which one precisely? The COSMOS trial used Centrum Silver®, a multivitamin formulated for those over 50, available in pharmacies. It brings together essential vitamins and minerals – vitamins C, D, E, zinc, selenium, magnesium – in dosages adapted to the needs of seniors. The researchers point out, however, that it is multivitamin supplementation in general – and not the specific brand – that is at the heart of their findings. In France, there are comparable alternatives available in pharmacies, such as Bion 3®, Berocca® or even Alvityl®, which also combine several vitamins and minerals intended to cover the daily needs of those over 50.
As always, researchers urge caution: this is a statistical association observed over two years, not proof of direct causality. Furthermore, supplementing is never trivial and above all does not replace a balanced diet. Vitamins and minerals must first come from the plate, via fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains or even fatty fish. Food supplements can be useful in certain situations – deficiencies, persistent fatigue, advanced age, unbalanced diet – but they should not be taken lightly and not at any time. Supplementation is recommended only on the advice of a doctor or, at least, after advice from a pharmacist, in order to avoid excesses and/or interactions with certain treatments.
