Question 246 of 433
Should I take a daily multivitamin?
The short answer
It is not essential, but for adults over 60 the evidence has become more favorable.
In the COSMOS trial, older adults taking a daily multivitamin did modestly better on memory tests than those on placebo. In March 2026, a follow-up in Nature Medicine looked at 958 participants and found that two years of a multivitamin modestly slowed two of the epigenetic clocks studied, by roughly one to three months of biological aging per year. People who were aging fastest at the start benefited most.
That is small, and a clock is not a life. But a multivitamin is cheap and safe, and I no longer discourage it. Smokers should avoid high-dose beta-carotene, and no one needs megadoses.
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
HUMAN TRIALS — Older adults: small cognitive and clock findings; no demonstrated lifespan extension.Evidence grade (draft mapping)Grade pendingPart 17, Q246 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.