A new study says taking a multivitamin (MV) every day may help stop Aging by slowing down the biological clock.
How does a multivitamins work to Stop Aging?
This is one of first studies that was able to measure the biological breakdown products of Aging showing a minor but consistent improvement in Aging. The study looked at over 1,000 healthy men and women taking a daily multivitamin (Centrum Silver) either alone or in combination with cocoa or chocolate flavanols (500 mg cocoa flavanols) then measured products of cellular Aging using DNA or gene markers over a 2-year period.
They found that Aging at the “cell,” level improved in the group taking a multivitamin (MV) alone but not in those taking the chocolate or cocoa flavanols. The effect on biological Aging was small but significant. The decrease in biological Aging was greatest in those people who shows early signs of Aging compared to those who aged slower.
Biological Aging is a slow but steady decline in health that happens as we age with considerable variation in people based on genes, lifestyle, and in this study our nutritional health. It means that people whose diets include a healthy balance of micronutrients of essential vitamins and minerals adding a daily MV did not seem to make a difference. However, in those who may lack micronutrients taking a MV slowed down the biological clock.
This speaks to the fundamental importance of eating a healthy diet rich in nutrients or simply taking a MV every day as long as the dose especially for fat soluble vitamins do not exceed the maximal daily allowance. Fat soluble vitamins include Vitamin A, D, E and K. Unlike water soluble vitamins they are stored in the body so important to not exceed standard daily doses unless instructed by your doctor.
There are other large studies that show conflicting results when it comes to health benefits of multivitamins (MV). In a large study out of JAMA taking a daily MV showed no significant health benefits. Despite lack of consistent benefit, it’s reported that 1 out of every 3 Americans takes a MV on a regular basis as feels it “improves health.”
Vitamin supplements are important in people on restricted diets or those who lack essential nutrients and minerals notably Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Calcium and Iodine. Other smaller studies on the benefits of vitamins show that it may reduce certain cancers, and slow age-related memory loss. Vitamin D decreases Aging by strengthening the backbone of the cells (telomeres) responsible for Aging keeping us healthier longer.
Any other health benefits of multivitamins or chocolate?
Other health benefits of taking a multivitamin every day includes possibly stopping cancer. The risk of cancer in small studies may show that taking a MV may lower the risk of lung cancer by 38 %. Cocoa flavanols also packs a powerful antioxidant “punch,” by decreasing heart disease and may help with memory loss. However, in this study cocoa was not associated with decreasing the Aging process.
Some experts argue chocolate or cocoa supplements may help with Aging by reducing inflammation in the body keeping us youthful longer. Why it failed to show a difference in biological Aging in this study is unclear. It may simply be that the people were too healthy at baseline to see a difference.
Cocoa Flavanols are the healthy “stuff,” found in chocolate. Flavanols are naturally occurring antioxidants in cocoa beans and may support heart and brain health. It does this by speeding up and improving the blood flow or circulation in the body. It’s important to take 500 to 900 mg of cocoa flavanols each day to see the full health benefits.
Dark chocolate packs a punch having the most flavanols while white chocolate has none. The reason is that dark chocolate is processed less and has the most cocoa, the stuff that makes chocolate dark. This also means less sugar and milk. “Extra,” dark chocolate is made of 85 to 100 % pure cocoa with brands like Ghirardelli and Lindt touting “Dark Chocolate Intense Dark,” with a whopping 86 % cocoa content.
Any last advice on multivitamins and Aging?
Aging is a complex and unfortunately happens to all of us as we get older. With global aging on the rise, there is renewed interest in slowly down the biological clock at the level of the cell to not only look better as we age but age healthier. It’s estimated that half of global disease burden is due to age-related diseases, like heart disease, cancer, and memory problems and to imagine that something as simple and low cost as taking a multivitamin daily can make a difference.
The experts tell us that many of us may not be getting adequate micronutrients in our diet and this study further links micronutrients, or vitamins to Aging. It is also thought that 5 billion people globally may be lacking in vital micronutrients especially Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Calcium just to list a few that may be impacting our global health and life span.
The study used Centrum Silver as their multivitamin, but likely can be substituted with multivitamin gummies, or even the nostalgic Flintstone’s vitamins that we loved as kids. Whatever your multivitamin choice, it’s a safe and cheap way to turn back time, but more studies need to be done to support its use in Aging and longevity.
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