Daily Multivitamins Slow Biological Ageing: What To Buy

Science has now proven that taking a daily multivitamin can slow biological ageing. A supplement expert explains exactly how to find the product that works best for you. However, there is one £79 super powder that simply does not deserve your money. Meanwhile, an ideal pill costing just 16p a day suits those over fifty perfectly.

Research shows that multivitamins may not help you live longer in terms of raw years. Yet there is growing evidence they do improve our healthspan. That term refers to the specific years we spend living in good health rather than struggling with illness or frailty.

A recent study made headlines after finding a daily multivitamin could slow ageing significantly. Over two years, this approach reduced biological age by about four months compared to a placebo group. The research was published in Nature Medicine and follows a well-respected long-term study at Harvard University from 2024 known as the Cosmos trial. People who took daily multivitamins saw a 60 per cent reduction in brain health decline over three years compared to those on a placebo. Scientists measured this using memory and problem-solving tests.

These newer studies show that no extra years does not mean there is no benefit, says Aidan Goggins. He is a pharmacist and nutritionist who acts as an independent expert for the supplement industry. Older adults often have small nutrient gaps due to the reduced ability of the gut to absorb nutrients as we age. This factor may explain the latest findings regarding brain health improvements.

In particular, vitamins A, C and E may protect brain cells from damage while B vitamins are linked to lower blood levels of homocysteine. High levels of this protein serve as a risk factor for dementia. Others who could benefit from a multivitamin as a safety net include anyone with a restricted diet such as vegetarians or vegans. People dealing with malabsorption issues like coeliac or Crohn's disease also fit into this category, says Aidan Goggins. They can be low in nutrients just as those on medications such as proton pump inhibitors for acid reflux are. GLP-1s for weight loss also interfere with vitamin and mineral absorption in the gut.

We asked Aidan Goggins for his expert view on some of the latest multivitamin products which we then rated. Here is a look at two specific options available to consumers today. The first option represents a budget buy found at Tesco Health. This product contains Multivitamins & Iron and costs £2.65 for 60 tablets.

The cost per day works out to just 4p. The claim states it aims to support general wellbeing. In reality, this item only offers a very modest back-up despite looking OK on paper. It provides 100 per cent of the recommended amount for 13 key nutrients including vitamin C and several B vitamins. Disappointingly, it does not include iodine or selenium. Iodine is found in seafood and dairy and is needed for healthy thyroid and brain function. Selenium exists in nuts and oily fish and is needed for immunity. People in the UK are often low in these two cheap nutrients.

Plus its vitamin D dose sits at just 5mcg which is not enough for most needs. The NHS recommends all adults take at least 10mcg daily from November to March. Recent research suggests closer to 25mcg per day is optimal so you are often better off with a specific vitamin D supplement. This product receives a rating of 3 out of 10.

The second option listed as premium comes from Boots under the brand Heights Vitals. This multivitamin costs £40 for 60 capsules and requires two capsules a day to work properly. The cost per day reaches £1.33. The claim highlights delayed-release capsules designed to maximise absorption. We rate this one as genuinely higher-quality versions of nutrients despite the price on the higher side.

Methylated B vitamins are already active, so they raise blood levels better. The product also packs the highest dose of vitamin D at 45mcg per daily serving, meaning you do not need another pill for that nutrient. However, it includes 5mg of iron. That is a terrible choice for a 'just in case' multivitamin because iron blocks the absorption of other minerals like magnesium and zinc found here.

The main gimmick relies on a delayed-release two-layer capsule. Fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamin D and omega-3 oil sit in the outer shell while water-soluble vitamins like B and C go into an inner capsule. Claims about superior absorption simply lack proof. Many key nutrients, including vitamin C and minerals, absorb best in the upper small intestine. Delaying release until further down the digestive tract could theoretically be a disadvantage. Rating: 6/10.

Centrum Advance 50+ Multivitamins & Minerals costs £28 for 180 tablets at Boots. The cost per day is just 16p. The claim states it supports daily energy release and normal immune function in adults over 50. This verdict stands out because the formulation has evidence of meaningful health benefits unlike others. It is the UK version of Centrum Silver, the multivitamin used in the Cosmos brain research. The only major difference is that vitamin D here is much lower at just 5mcg compared to 25mcg in the study.

Any brain benefits come from more than just vitamin D. A 2025 randomised trial by Essex University found no measurable cognitive benefit from taking vitamin D on its own. Key actors are likely B vitamins, zinc and magnesium instead. The combination of these nutrients working together is most important, according to the Cosmos researchers. Rating: 8/10.

AG1 costs £79 for 30 days at drinkag1.com. The daily cost reaches £2.63. The claim boasts 70-plus optimised ingredients. This sounds impressive but a long label does not equal a formula proven to be beneficial. Ingredients start with apple powder and pea protein which do not offer huge health benefits on their own. It contains high doses of vitamin C at 420mg and several B vitamins, yet zinc at 10mg is the only mineral at the recommended daily level.

Disappointingly, there is no vitamin D at all. Many plant extracts such as ashwagandha are linked to lower stress but they are hidden inside blends with no individual dose given. You cannot know if you are getting a meaningful amount. It does contain probiotics which may help gut health, yet the multivitamins used in trials showing longevity benefits did not contain probiotics so they are not a necessity. This product is also expensive. Rating: 1/10.

PatchMD Multivitamin Patches cost £20.50 for 30 patches on Amazon. The daily cost is 68p. The claim promises transdermal delivery which bypasses the digestive system for better absorption. You wear one a day for eight hours. Drug patches like HRT or painkillers work well, but research shows vitamins and minerals are not efficiently absorbed through skin. Only fat-soluble molecules can penetrate it, so water-soluble vitamins like C and B will not get through.

When it comes to minerals, only magnesium has evidence it passes into the bloodstream. Others such as selenium and zinc remain in the skin's top layers. A 2019 trial in patients who had a gastric bypass found those using multivitamin patches were significantly more likely to be nutrient deficient than those using standard oral supplements. It certainly should not be marketed as a superior way to take a multivitamin.

MaryRuth's Organic Women's Multivitamin Liposomal costs £19.49 for a month of daily use, which breaks down to just 65p per day. The product claims its liposomal technology delivers nutrients better than standard pills. This method wraps vitamins in a protective fat bubble to help them survive stomach acid and reach the intestine intact. That trick works well for fragile nutrients like vitamin C or B vitamins that might otherwise get destroyed. However, most of the ingredients here are already stable enough to absorb perfectly fine on their own. The formula also lacks any specific benefits tailored to women. Its main strength is simply being a tasty vanilla peach liquid for anyone who struggles with swallowing tablets or finds pills miserable to take. The formulation itself includes methylated B vitamins and 25mcg of vitamin D, earning it a rating of 6 out of 10.

Holland & Barrett Multivitamin Gummies are priced at £6.99 for thirty days, totaling just 23p daily. They promise key nutrients to fight tiredness while supporting the immune system, skin, hair, and nails. These sweets look appealing because they taste good and are easy to swallow. But there is a hard limit on how much nutrition you can pack into a gummy without ruining its flavor or texture. Consequently, these tend to have lower doses than standard pills. This specific product only contains 30mg of vitamin C, which is less than half the recommended daily amount. Research suggests that about 25 per cent of vitamin C can be lost during processing because the mixture must be heated and then set like a sweet, potentially damaging nutrients along the way. We do not know if this brand added extra vitamin C to make up for that loss. The treat is also high in sugar and sits at the lower end of vitamin D content with only 5mcg provided. It falls short on half the recommended amounts of vitamin B6 and folic acid, resulting in a score of 3 out of 10.

BetterYou Multivitamin Daily Oral Spray costs £10.99 for 25ml, which provides 32 doses or roughly 34p per day. The label states these are 14 essential nutrients scientifically developed for superior absorption. Inside you will find iodine, selenium, and a solid dose of 20mcg vitamin D. An oral spray is indeed a smart and convenient format for delivery. Yet it does not represent a superior system for getting nutrients into your body. While some substances like vitamin D can pass through the lining of the mouth directly into the bloodstream, much of this liquid will likely be swallowed anyway. That means absorption happens in the gut just like with any other supplement. Faster uptake is rarely a useful benefit because health relies on improving nutrient status over weeks and months, not creating an instant effect. The spray works well for people who hate tablets, children, or anyone facing swallowing difficulties. It receives a rating of 7 out of 10.