A six-month study conducted on a group of healthy older men has revealed promising results indicating that daily multivitamin/multimineral supplementation can significantly enhance essential nutrition biomarkers. Led by esteemed researchers Tory Hagen and Alexander Michels from Oregon State University, the study showcased how these improvements in nutritional status can directly impact cellular function, as measured by the oxygen consumption of the participants' blood cells.

Figure 1. Multivitamins.

Figure 1 shows Multivitamins. The findings, recently published in the esteemed journal Nutrients, shed light on the potential of dietary supplementation as a vital tool in promoting healthier aging among individuals.

" Many older adults take a multivitamin, thinking it will help them stay healthy,” said Michels, a research associate at OSU’s Linus Pauling Institute. “However, previous studies have shown mixed results when it comes to multivitamins and disease risk. We wanted to know why there was so much uncertainty. Is it possible that multivitamins aren’t as effective at changing nutrition biomarkers in older adults?"

The research team, comprising eight distinguished scientists from OSU, enlisted 35 men aged 68 or above for this double-blind study. Half of the participants were administered a Centrum Silver supplement, while the other half received a placebo, with neither group aware of their assigned treatment. Throughout the study, participants were strictly prohibited from taking any additional supplements unless prescribed vitamin D by their healthcare providers.

"Our tests showed that many of these older men were not obtaining the optimal levels of several vitamins when the study started,” said Hagen, principal investigator and Helen P. Rumbel Professor for Healthy Aging Research at the Linus Pauling Institute. “So there certainly was room for improvement.”

Following the six-month intervention, distinct differences between the supplement and placebo groups emerged. While those receiving the multivitamin demonstrated notable enhancements in nutrition biomarkers, those in the placebo group exhibited no such improvements.

“Several of the participants assigned to the placebo group had blood nutrition biomarkers fall during the study,” said Hagen, who is also a professor of biochemistry and biophysics at OSU. “It suggests that food alone was not enough to keep their vitamin and carotenoid levels up.”

Carotenoids, plant-synthesized pigments responsible for yellow, orange, and red hues, play multiple roles in human health. Certain carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, serve as a supplementary source of vitamin A.

While the researchers did not measure disease risk in this study, they did examine the participants' white blood cells, a vital component of the immune system.

“We were amazed to find that the men who took the placebo showed reduction in cellular oxygen consumption,” Hagen added, noting that oxygen consumption is an indicator of cell function. “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.”

The researchers view this study as a pivotal step forward in multivitamin research, heralding a new era of understanding.

“Our evidence indicates that many older men could benefit from a daily multivitamin, but the response did vary from individual to individual,” Michels said. “Knowing who benefits the most and why will be key for multivitamin trials that evaluate disease risk in the future.”

The esteemed research team included Judy Butler, Sandra Uesugi, Ken Lee, Balz Frei, Gerd Bobe, and Kathy Magnusson from the Linus Pauling Institute, in addition to representatives from OSU's colleges of Science and Agricultural Sciences, as well as the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine.

Source: Oregon State University

Cite this article:

Hana M (2023), Dietary Supplementation Revitalizes Nutrition Biomarkers in Aging Men, AnaTechmaz, pp.485