Researchers have found signs that one simple daily routine may influence how quickly the body ages over time.
A new study from Mass General Brigham suggests that taking a daily multivitamin could be linked to slower biological aging in older adults, reports Science Daily.
The study was published in Nature Medicine and funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health.
The findings come from the large COSMOS clinical trial, which followed nearly 1,000 healthy participants with an average age of 70 over a two-year period.
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Instead of focusing only on chronological age, scientists examined biological age by analyzing chemical changes in DNA linked to aging.
These measurements, often called epigenetic clocks, are used to estimate how quickly the body is aging on a cellular level.
Participants who took a daily multivitamin showed signs of slower biological aging compared with those who received a placebo.
According to the researchers, the difference was equal to roughly four fewer months of biological aging during the study period.
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Looking deeper
The strongest effects were seen among participants whose biological age already appeared older than their actual age when the study began.
Researchers say the findings add to growing scientific interest in whether affordable lifestyle habits and nutritional support may help people maintain better health as they grow older.
The team also noted that more research is needed before drawing broader conclusions about disease prevention or lifespan.
What happens next
Scientists involved in the project plan to continue studying whether the observed effects remain over time and whether they may help explain previous research connected to cognition, cancer risk, and age-related health conditions.
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