tuneTypical Dose
1 tablet daily with food
Vitamin
Multivitamin
N/A (combination product)
Evidence TierBWADA NOT PROHIBITED
watchEffect Window
Months to years for preventive outcomes.
check_circleCompliance
WADA NOT PROHIBITED
Overview
Clinical Summary
A multivitamin combines vitamins and minerals to improve baseline micronutrient adequacy. It is used to fill dietary gaps that contribute to fatigue, immune vulnerability, or poor nutritional status.
Multivitamins reliably improve micronutrient status and can correct low intake patterns. Evidence for chronic disease prevention is mixed, with stronger benefit signals in populations with poor diet quality, older age, or malabsorption risk. Minority benefits include reduced anemia risk and improved pregnancy nutrient adequacy when formulation matches needs. Net benefit depends on baseline deficiencies and composition, not high dosing.
Provides baseline vitamins and minerals as enzymatic cofactors, antioxidant defenses, and structural substrates across core physiological systems.
Outcomes
What This Is Expected To Influence
Primary Outcomes
- Micronutrient deficiency prevention
- Cognitive aging support (older adults)
Secondary Outcomes
- Baseline metabolic cofactor coverage
Safety
Contraindications and Interactions
Contraindications
- Hemochromatosis (iron-containing)
- Hypercalcemia
Side effects
- GI upset
- Nausea
- Constipation
Interactions
- Warfarin (vitamin K)
- Levodopa (B6)
- Tetracycline/fluoroquinolone antibiotics (mineral chelation)
Avoid if
- Smokers (high beta-carotene formulas)
- Men/postmenopausal adults (iron-containing without deficiency)
Evidence
Study-level References
multivitamin-SRC-001Randomized, placebo-controlled trial
Sourceopen_in_newBaker LD et al. (2022), COSMOS-Mind randomized controlled trial (multivitamin vs placebo in older adults)
Population: Older adults
Dose protocol: 1 multivitamin pill daily for 3 years
Key findings: Multivitamin supplementation was associated with significantly slower global cognitive decline, estimated at ~60% slowing (about 1.8 years of cognitive aging).
Notes: Evidence supports cognitive aging benefit in older adults. Broader disease-prevention claims remain mixed and population-dependent.
Paper content
Multivitamin supplementation was associated with significantly slower global cognitive decline, estimated at ~60% slowing (about 1.8 years of cognitive aging).
multivitamin-pmid-38244989Randomized controlled trial with linked meta-analysis
Sourceopen_in_newVyas CM, Manson JE, Sesso HD, Cook NR, Rist PM, Weinberg A, Moorthy MV, Baker LD, Espeland MA, Yeung LK, Brickman AM, Okereke OI. Effect of multivitamin-mineral supplementation versus placebo on cognitive function: results from the clinic subcohort of the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2024;119(3):692-701. doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.12.011. PMID:38244989.
Population: U.S. adults aged 60 years and older enrolled in a 2x2 factorial trial examining cocoa extract and multivitamin-mineral supplementation. The clinic subcohort included 573 participants, and the linked meta-analysis pooled 5,203 participants across 3 COSMOS cognitive substudies.
Dose protocol: 1 multivitamin-mineral tablet (Centrum Silver) daily for ~2 years
Key findings: Meta-analysis of 5,203 older adults across 3 COSMOS substudies found significant benefit for global cognition (0.07 SD, P=0.0009) and episodic memory (0.06 SD, P=0.0007), equivalent to roughly 2 years of slowed cognitive aging.
Notes: Strongest available evidence from a large, well-designed factorial trial with pooled analysis.
Paper content
This COSMOS clinic subcohort RCT randomized 573 older adults to daily multivitamin-mineral or placebo for about 2 years, with a pooled meta-analysis across three COSMOS substudies totaling 5,203 participants. The meta-analysis found a statistically significant benefit of multivitamin-mineral supplementation on global cognition (0.07 SD, P=0.0009) and episodic memory (0.06 SD, P=0.0007). The magnitude of benefit was estimated to correspond to approximately 2 years of slowed cognitive aging. Executive function and attention did not improve significantly. These results strengthen the evidence that daily multivitamin-mineral supplementation can modestly slow cognitive decline in older adults.
multivitamin-pmid-41308839Rapid review of 19 meta-analyses.
Sourceopen_in_newWang W, Wazny VK, Mahadzir MDA, Maier AB. Multivitamin and mineral use: A rapid review of meta-analyses on health outcomes. Ageing Res Rev. 2026;114:102965. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2025.102965. PMID:41308839.
Population: Over 5.5 million participants across 19 meta-analyses, including general adults, pregnant women, and children with maternal exposure.
Dose protocol: Various MVM formulations across 19 meta-analyses
Key findings: Rapid review of 19 meta-analyses (5.5 million participants) found RCT-level support for cognitive benefits in older adults, reduced psychological symptoms, and lower systolic blood pressure. No benefit for all-cause mortality or broad cancer prevention.
Notes: Useful overview showing that MVM benefits are population-dependent rather than universal.
Paper content
This rapid review synthesized 19 meta-analyses covering over 5.5 million participants to evaluate multivitamin and mineral supplementation across a wide range of health outcomes. RCT evidence showed cognitive benefits (global cognition, episodic memory, immediate recall) in older adults, reduced psychological symptoms in healthy individuals, and lower systolic blood pressure in at-risk populations. No benefits were found for all-cause mortality, COVID-19 outcomes, or visual acuity. Observational data associated MVM use with reduced colorectal cancer and coronary heart disease risk but not with breast/prostate cancer, stroke, or overall mortality. The authors emphasize substantial variability in effectiveness depending on population, age, and health status, and advocate for targeted nutritional strategies rather than universal supplementation.