Can a multivitamin slow down aging?
Listen to the story (American accent)
Scientists cannot stop aging. However, a new study shows that a daily pill might slow it down.
Researchers from Mass General Brigham in Boston did the study. They found that taking a multivitamin every day for two years slowed biological aging by about four months.
Biological aging is different from chronological age. Chronological age is the number of years a person has lived. Biological aging describes how quickly a person’s cells grow old.
The researchers studied almost 1,000 healthy adults with an average age of 70. They divided the people into groups. Some people took a daily multivitamin, while others took a placebo, which is a pill with no medicine.
The scientists looked at their blood during the study. They checked DNA changes called epigenetic clocks. These clocks show how cells age.
The results showed that people who took multivitamins had slower biological aging. The most benefit happened to people who were already biologically older than their actual age.
Dr. Howard Sesso, an author of the study, said these results are exciting. He wants to find easy and safe ways to help people stay healthy as they get older. However, scientists do not know which specific vitamin or mineral in the pill caused the change. It could be vitamin D, calcium, or many others.
There are some limits to this research. The study mostly included older people of European background. Also, the change in aging was small.
Scientists do not know yet if this slowdown will prevent sickness or help people live longer lives. More research is needed to see if these benefits continue for a long time.
Future studies will also check if multivitamins help the brain or reduce the risk of cancer.
Vocabulary36 words
- Scientist
- a person who works in science; a person who studies how the world works 🧑🔬
- Aging
- getting older; the process of growing old
- Study
- a scientific test; a report; a piece of research to learn new facts
- Show
- to make something clear; to give information; to prove
- Daily
- every day; happening once each day
- Pill
- a small piece of solid medicine that you swallow; a tablet 💊
- Researcher
- a person who studies something carefully to find new information
- Found
- discovered; learned something new after looking for it
- Multivitamin
- a pill that has many different vitamins inside it
- Biological
- related to living things; related to the body and how it works 🧬
- Chronological
- related to time; the number of years since a person was born 🕒
- Cell
- the smallest part of a living thing; a tiny building block of the body 🧫
- Study
- to learn more; to research; to check carefully
- Adult
- a grown-up person; a person who is not a child
- Average
- a middle number; a normal or usual amount
- Divide
- to separate into groups; to break into parts ➗
- Placebo
- a fake pill with no medicine; a "sugar pill" used in medical tests
- Blood
- the red liquid that flows inside your body 🩸
- DNA
- the special code inside your body that makes you who you are 🧬
- Results
- the final information from a test; what happened at the end
- Benefit
- a good effect; something helpful; an advantage
- Actual
- real; true; exact
- Author
- the person who wrote the report or book
- Specific
- one exact thing; particular; clearly defined
- Vitamin
- something natural in food or pills that helps your body stay healthy
- Mineral
- a natural substance (like calcium or iron) that the body needs to be strong
- Limit
- a rule or fact that stops something from being perfect; a restriction
- Include
- to have something as a part of a group; to contain
- Background
- a person's family history; where someone comes from; experience
- Prevent
- to stop something from happening
- Sickness
- being ill; a disease; not feeling well 🤒
- Brain
- the part of the body inside the head used for thinking 🧠
- Reduce
- to make something smaller; to make something less
- Reduce the risk
- to make the chance of something bad happening lower
- Risk
- the chance that something bad or dangerous might happen ⚠️
- Cancer
- a very serious and dangerous illness 🎗️
Quiz
Answer key
1. Four months 2. Biological age describes how quickly your cells grow old. 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Scientists _____ stop aging. However, a new study shows that a _____ pill might slow it down.
Researchers from Mass General Brigham _____ Boston did the study. They found that taking a multivitamin every day for two years _____ biological aging by about four months.
_____ aging is different from chronological age. Chronological age _____ the number of years a person has lived. Biological _____ describes how quickly a person’s cells grow old.
_____ researchers studied almost 1,000 healthy _____ with an average age of 70. They divided the people _____ groups. Some people took a daily multivitamin, _____ others took a placebo, which is a pill with no medicine.
_____ scientists looked at their blood during the study. _____ checked DNA changes called epigenetic clocks. These clocks show _____ cells age.
The results showed _____ people who took multivitamins had _____ biological aging. The most benefit happened to people who _____ already biologically older than their actual age.
_____ Howard Sesso, an author of the study, said these results are _____ . He wants to find easy and safe ways to help people stay _____ as they get older. However, scientists do not know which _____ vitamin or mineral in the pill caused the _____ . It could be vitamin D, calcium, or many _____ .
There are some limits _____ this research. The study mostly _____ older people of European background. Also, the change in aging _____ small.
Scientists do not know yet if this _____ will prevent sickness or help people live longer lives. More _____ is needed to see if these benefits _____ for a long time.
Future studies will also _____ if multivitamins help the brain or reduce the risk of _____ .
Discussion questions
- Do you take any vitamins or supplements every day? Why or why not?
- In your opinion, is a four-month slowdown in aging a big success or a small result?
- Some people prefer to get vitamins from healthy food instead of pills. Which do you think is better?
- Would you want to know your "biological age" if a doctor could test it? Why or why not?
- How do you feel about getting older? What are the best and worst parts of aging?
- If a pill could help you live to be 120 years old, would you take it?
More Science stories
Next story · Medium
Iran war causes energy crisis in Asia