The possibility that widely available supplements could measurably slow biological aging represents a paradigm shift from treating age-related diseases to preventing the aging process itself. This approach could democratize longevity interventions beyond expensive therapies, making cellular age reduction accessible through everyday supplementation.
Daily multivitamin-multimineral supplementation (Centrum Silver) reduced the rate of cellular aging by 0.113 years annually on PCGrimAge and 0.214 years on PCPhenoAge methylation clocks among 958 adults in the COSMOS trial. These second-generation epigenetic markers track biological aging more precisely than chronological age by measuring DNA methylation patterns across specific gene sites. Participants with accelerated baseline aging showed stronger responses, with PCGrimAge improvements of 0.236 years compared to minimal effects in those aging normally. Cocoa extract containing 500mg flavanols and 80mg epicatechin showed no measurable impact on any of the five aging biomarkers tested.
This represents the first large-scale randomized evidence that basic multivitamins can influence fundamental aging mechanisms, not just prevent nutrient deficiencies. The effect size, while modest, is biologically meaningful when sustained over decades and could translate to meaningful healthspan extension. However, the mechanism remains unclear—whether through correcting micronutrient gaps, supporting DNA repair, or reducing oxidative stress. The stronger response among accelerated agers suggests multivitamins may normalize rather than universally enhance aging trajectories. These findings require replication across diverse populations and longer follow-up periods to establish whether early epigenetic benefits translate into extended healthspan and reduced age-related disease burden.
