A six-month double-blind study led by researchers from Oregon State University (OSU) has shown that daily multivitamin/multimineral supplementation can positively affect key nutrition biomarkers in healthy older men.
The study, involving 35 men aged 68 or above, indicated that supplementation might enhance cellular function, as evidenced by the participants’ blood cells’ oxygen consumption.
These findings, published in the journal Nutrients, imply that multivitamin supplementation could be a critical tool for maintaining health in older adults.
Details
The study participants, none of whom were allowed to take supplements other than prescribed vitamin D, were randomly assigned to receive either a Centrum Silver supplement or a placebo. Lead investigators,
Tory Hagen and Alexander Michels, found that many of the men were not getting optimal levels of several vitamins at the start of the study, indicating room for improvement.
Post the six-month trial, the group receiving the multivitamin demonstrated improved nutrition biomarkers, while the placebo group did not.
Furthermore, some placebo group participants saw a decline in blood nutrition biomarkers, suggesting that diet alone may not suffice to maintain vitamin and carotenoid levels.
Carotenoids, plant-derived pigments playing various roles in human health, can provide an additional source of vitamin A.
The team did not measure disease risk, but they did observe a reduction in cellular oxygen consumption – an indicator of cell function – in the placebo group.
This reduction was not seen in the multivitamin group, leading to further interest in the connection between vitamin status and white blood cell function.
Quoting the Researchers
“We were amazed to find that the men who took the placebo showed a reduction in cellular oxygen consumption,” said Hagen, also a professor of biochemistry and biophysics at OSU.
“This was not observed in men who took the multivitamin, suggesting a connection between vitamin status and white blood cell function that we are eager to explore further.”
Michels added, “Our evidence indicates that many older men could benefit from a daily multivitamin, but the response did vary from individual to individual.
Knowing who benefits the most and why will be key for multivitamin trials that evaluate disease risk in the future.”
What’s Next?
The research team, representing OSU’s Colleges of Science and Agricultural Sciences, the Linus Pauling Institute, and Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, sees the study as the start of a new chapter in multivitamin research.
Future trials will aim to discern who stands to benefit most from multivitamin supplementation and why, potentially paving the way for a personalized approach to supplementation.
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The study was published in Nutrients.
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