Has the solution to preventing aging been found?

The new study that is sparking interest in the medical world: A study published this week in the scientific journal Nature Medicine found that daily intake of a multivitamin for two years was associated with a certain slowing in biological markers of aging. Despite the intriguing finding, the researchers themselves emphasize that this is only a small effect and that it is still not clear whether it has real health significance.

The study was conducted as part of a large trial in the United States called COSMOS, which included nearly one thousand healthy participants with an average age of about 70 years. The researchers examined blood samples of 958 participants at three time points, at the beginning of the study, after one year, and after two years. Some of the participants took a daily multivitamin, while others did not receive a supplement.

The goal was to examine how the supplement affects what is called "biological age". In contrast to chronological age, that is, the number of years a person has lived, biological age reflects the actual condition of the body. It is based on biological changes that occur in cells and tissues over the course of life.

To do this, the researchers used what are called "epigenetic clocks". These are computational systems based on measuring DNA methylation, that is, small chemical markings on the genetic material. Methylation patterns change in a relatively predictable way over the course of life, and therefore they can be used to estimate the rate of biological aging.

In the study, five different epigenetic clocks were analyzed. The results showed that in two of them, a small but statistically significant slowdown in aging markers was observed among participants who took a daily multivitamin. The measured slowdown is equivalent to about four months of reduced aging over the two-year study period.

This effect was more pronounced among participants whose biological age was initially higher than their chronological age. In other words, people whose bodies were aging faster than expected for their age benefited slightly more from the supplement.

However, the researchers emphasize that this is a relatively small change in a biological marker, and not necessarily a real improvement in health or life expectancy. It is still not known whether the differences in aging markers will in the future translate into a reduction in diseases, mortality, or decline in function.

Despite the curiosity sparked by the study, it is important to remember that multivitamin supplements have been examined in dozens of large studies over the years. In the vast majority of them, no significant health advantage was found for regular intake of the supplements among healthy people.

Large-scale studies conducted in the United States and Europe examined whether taking a multivitamin reduces morbidity from heart disease, cancer, or overall mortality. In most cases, no difference was found between people who took the supplements and those who did not take them.

For this reason, major health organizations around the world, including health authorities in the United States and Europe, do not recommend routine intake of multivitamins for healthy people. The common recommendation is to obtain most vitamins and minerals from a balanced diet that includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and sources of protein.

Taking supplements is recommended only when there is a proven deficiency, for example a deficiency in vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, or folic acid. Such conditions are more common in certain population groups such as the elderly, pregnant women, vegans, or people suffering from diseases that impair food absorption. In such cases, a doctor may recommend a specific supplement tailored to the particular deficiency, and not a general multivitamin that contains a combination of many components.

According to the researchers, the new study adds an interesting layer to the understanding of the aging process, but it is still too early to draw health recommendations from it. It is possible that in the future certain population groups will be found that can benefit from specific supplements, but this will require further and long-term studies.