Many people today have deficiencies in one or more micronutrients, and a healthy diet is crucial for optimal health and the prevention of chronic diseases associated with aging. The study was presented at the 2025 American Heart Association Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions in New Orleans in March 2025.
The Cocoa Supplement Multivitamins Outcomes Study (COSMOS) addressed whether daily multivitamin supplementation, in a randomized clinical trial setting, could slow biological aging as measured by DNA methylation in epigenetic clocks.
The trial provides compelling evidence that daily multivitamin supplementation may slow biological aging, as measured by epigenetic clocks.
The COSMOS trial included men and women who were older adults (aged 60 years or older). In this study, the average age was 70.2 years. Approximately 950 participants who had blood tests at baseline and 1-year and 2-year follow-ups were randomly selected.
Over two years, participants in the multivitamin group exhibited significantly slower aging, with an estimated 10%-20% reduction compared to the placebo group—equivalent to approximately four months of aging averted. These effects were even more pronounced in individuals with accelerated aging at baseline. While further replication and research are necessary, these findings contribute to the growing body of evidence supporting the potential role of multivitamins in promoting healthy aging and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. Importantly, multivitamins should be viewed as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, a healthy diet and lifestyle.
