Are Multivitamins Helpful? Research Suggests Benefits for Older Adults

by | Nov 16, 2020 | 2020, Aging, Vitamins

Written by Jessica Patella, ND.  Multiple vitamin mineral (MVM) supplementation for 12 weeks significantly increased zinc and vitamin C levels and improved immune function in older adults.

vitaminsIt is estimated that 35% of older adults in the United States, Canada and Europe are deficient in one or more vitamins 1,2.  The vitamins older adults are most likely to be deficient in include vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc 1,3-5.  It is hypothesized that these nutrient deficiencies may result in a weakened immune system functioning 1,6.  Researchers found supplementing with a multivitamin and mineral supplement showed signs of improving some health markers for older adults 1.

There is a correlation between the vitamins and minerals that older adults can be deficient in and immune system functioning.  Research has shown previously that when Vitamin C is taken regularly it can reduce the risk of contracting the common cold 1,7.  Vitamin C is also an important nutrient for immune system cells including neutrophil phagocytosis and has shown antimicrobial activity 1,8,9.  Vitamin D plays a role in both the innate and adaptive immune function and is required to activate monocytes and macrophages, cells involved in the immune system response 1,10.  The mineral zinc also can alter the number and function of immune system cells (neutrophils, monocytes, natural killer T cells, B cells) 1,11.  For these reasons, the researchers hypothesized that a multivitamin and mineral (MVM) supplement, that included these three nutrients would improve the immune functioning of an older adult 1.

The research included 42 healthy participants from 55-75 years of age that were randomized to receive either a MVM supplement (n=21) or an inactive placebo (n=21; each took 2 tablets daily) for 12-weeks.

After 12-weeks of MVM supplementation, plasma levels of vitamin C increased by 126% (48.9 to 108.6; p<0.01) and serum levels of zinc increased by 43% (79.1 to 106.4; p<0.01).  There were no significant differences in vitamin D levels or in the placebo group 1.

The researchers also measured immune functioning with exposing whole blood samples from participants to Staphylococcus aureus but no significant findings were observed for either group 1.

Participants were also asked to self-monitor how they felt and any illness experienced during the 3-month period.  The total number of illness reported did not differ between the groups, however, MVM supplementation decreased the number of days ill by 70% compared to placebo (6.43 +/- 1.71 days in placebo vs 2.29 +/- 0.77 in the MVM; p=0.02).  The participants in the MVM also primarily experienced very mild symptoms (62%), versus the placebo experienced mild to severe symptoms (60%) 1.

In conclusion, taking daily MVM supplements for 12-weeks significantly increased zinc and vitamin C levels.  MVM also statistically decreased the self-reported number of days ill and severity of illness compared to the placebo group 1.  This study provided input to researchers to guide future research on multivitamin and mineral supplementation; researchers also expressed the need for a larger study to evaluate immune function responses.

Source: Fantacone, Mary L., Malcolm B. Lowry, Sandra L. Uesugi, Alexander J. Michels, Jaewoo Choi, Scott W. Leonard, Sean K. Gombart, Jeffrey S. Gombart, Gerd Bobe, and Adrian F. Gombart. “The effect of a multivitamin and mineral supplement on immune function in healthy older adults: a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial.” Nutrients 12, no. 8 (2020): 2447.

 © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Click here to read the full text study.

Posted November 16, 2020.

Jessica Patella, ND, is a naturopathic physician specializing in nutrition and homeopathic medicine and offers a holistic approach to health. She earned her ND from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ, and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Visit her website at www.awarenesswellness.com.

References:

  1. Fantacone ML, Lowry MB, Uesugi SL, et al. The Effect of a Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement on Immune Function in Healthy Older Adults: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2020;12(8).
  2. High KP. Nutritional strategies to boost immunity and prevent infection in elderly individuals. Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. 2001;33(11):1892-1900.
  3. Brubacher D, Moser U, Jordan P. Vitamin C concentrations in plasma as a function of intake: a meta-analysis. International journal for vitamin and nutrition research Internationale Zeitschrift fur Vitamin- und Ernahrungsforschung Journal international de vitaminologie et de nutrition. 2000;70(5):226-237.
  4. Prasad AS. Zinc: an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent: role of zinc in degenerative disorders of aging. Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS). 2014;28(4):364-371.
  5. Meehan M, Penckofer S. The Role of Vitamin D in the Aging Adult. Journal of aging and gerontology. 2014;2(2):60-71.
  6. Wong CP, Ho E. Zinc and its role in age-related inflammation and immune dysfunction. Molecular nutrition & food research. 2012;56(1):77-87.
  7. Hemilä H, Chalker E. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013(1):Cd000980.
  8. Carr AC, Maggini S. Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients. 2017;9(11).
  9. Goetzl EJ, Wasserman SI, Gigli I, Austen KF. Enhancement of random migration and chemotactic response of human leukocytes by ascorbic acid. J Clin Invest. 1974;53(3):813-818.
  10. Wang TT, Nestel FP, Bourdeau V, et al. Cutting edge: 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 is a direct inducer of antimicrobial peptide gene expression. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md : 1950). 2004;173(5):2909-2912.
  11. Haase H, Rink L. Multiple impacts of zinc on immune function. Metallomics : integrated biometal science. 2014;6(7):1175-1180.