Research shows that multivitamins may not help you live longer, but there’s growing evidence they do improve our ‘healthspan’ – that is the years we get in good health.
A recent study made headlines after finding a daily multivitamin could slow ageing, reducing biological age over two years by about four months compared to a placebo.
The research, published in Nature Medicine, follows a well-respected, long-term study at Harvard University from 2024 (the Cosmos trial) that showed people who took daily multivitamins had a 60 per cent reduction in brain health decline over three years compared to a placebo group (as measured using memory and problem-solving tests).
‘These newer studies show “no extra years” doesn’t mean no benefit,’ says Aidan Goggins, a pharmacist and nutritionist, who is 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 – which may explain the latest findings. In particular, vitamins A, C and E may protect brain cells from damage, while B vitamins have been linked to lower blood levels of the protein homocysteine – high levels are 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 or those with malabsorption issues [e.g. people with coeliac or Crohn’s disease]’, says Aidan Goggins. ‘They can be low in nutrients, as can those on medications such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for acid reflux or GLP-1s for weight loss, which 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.
Aidan Goggins, a pharmacist and nutritionist, is an independent expert for the supplement industry. He gives his expert view on some of the latest multivitamin products
BUDGET BUY
Tesco Health Multivitamins & Iron, £2.65 for 60
COST PER DAY: 4p
CLAIM: To ‘support general wellbeing’.
EXPERT VERDICT: These look OK on paper – providing 100 per cent of the recommended amount for 13 key nutrients, including vitamin C and several B vitamins.
But in reality it only offers a very modest back-up. Disappointingly, it doesn’t include iodine (in seafood and dairy and needed for healthy thyroid and brain function) or selenium (found in nuts and oily fish and needed for immunity) – two nutrients that are cheap to include and which people in the UK are often low in.
Plus, its vitamin D dose, at just 5mcg, is not enough. The NHS recommends all adults take at least 10mcg daily from November to March. But recent research suggests closer to 25mcg per day is optimal, so you’re often better off with a specific vitamin D supplement. 3/10
PREMIUM
Heights Vitals Multivitamin, £40 for 60 capsules, Boots
COST PER DAY: £1.33 (two capsules a day)
CLAIM: ‘Delayed-release capsules to maximise absorption’.
EXPERT VERDICT: Priced on the higher side, but with genuinely higher-quality versions of nutrients. For example, methylated B vitamins, which are already in their active, ready-to-use state so they boost blood levels more.
It also has the highest level of vitamin D here at 45mcg per daily dose so you wouldn’t need an additional pill.
On the downside, it contains 5mg iron – a terrible addition to a ‘just in case’ multivitamin, as iron can interfere with the absorption of other minerals such as the magnesium and zinc here.
Its main gimmick is the ‘delayed-release’ two-layer capsule: the fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamin D and omega-3 oil are held in the outer capsule, while water-soluble vitamins such as B and C are in a separate inner capsule. But the claims about superior absorption just aren’t proven. In fact, many key nutrients here, including the vitamin C and minerals, are absorbed best in the upper small intestine so delaying release to further along in the digestive tract could theoretically be a disadvantage. 6/10
FOR OLDER ADULTS
Centrum Advance 50+ Multivitamins & Minerals, £28 for 180 tablets, Boots
COST PER DAY: 16p
CLAIM: ‘To support daily energy release and normal immune function of adults over 50.’
EXPERT VERDICT: This is by far the most useful product here because it has something the others don’t: evidence its formulation has meaningful health benefits. It’s the UK version of Centrum Silver, the multivitamin used in the Cosmos brain research. The only important difference is that the vitamin D here is much lower at just 5mcg compared to 25mcg in the study.
But any brain benefits are not just down to vitamin D – not least because a 2025 randomised trial by Essex University found no measurable cognitive benefit from taking vitamin D on its own. Instead, key actors are likely to be B vitamins, zinc and magnesium, with the combination of nutrients working together being most important, according to the Cosmos researchers. 8/10
‘SUPER POWDER’
AG1, £79 for 30 days, drinkag1.com
COST PER DAY: £2.63
CLAIM: ‘70-plus optimised ingredients.’
EXPERT VERDICT: 70-plus ingredients sounds impressive, but a long label is not the same as a formula proven to be beneficial.
The ingredients start with apple powder and pea protein which don’t offer huge health benefits on their own. It contains high doses of vitamin C (420mg) and several B vitamins, but zinc (10mg) is the only mineral at the recommended daily level.
Disappointingly, there is no vitamin D at all. Many of the plant extracts – such as the herb ashwagandha (linked to lower stress) – are hidden inside ‘blends’, with no individual dose given, so there’s no way of knowing if you’re getting a meaningful amount.
It does contain probiotics which may help gut health, but the multivitamins used in trials showing longevity benefits didn’t contain probiotics so they aren’t a necessity. This is also expensive. 1/10
SKIN PATCH
PatchMD Multivitamin Patches, £20.50 for 30, Amazon
COST PER DAY: 68p
CLAIM: ‘Transdermal delivery which bypasses the digestive system for better absorption.’ Wear one a day for eight hours.
EXPERT VERDICT: Drug patches – such as HRT or painkillers – work well, but research shows that vitamins and minerals are not efficiently absorbed through the skin.
Only fat-soluble molecules can penetrate it, so the water-soluble vitamins (like C and B) here just won’t get through.
When it comes to minerals, only magnesium has evidence it can pass through into the bloodstream – others such as selenium and zinc remain in the skin’s top layers.
A 2019 trial in patients who’d had a gastric bypass (which impairs absorption of vitamins in the gut), found those using multivitamin patches were significantly more likely to be nutrient deficient than those using standard oral supplements. It certainly shouldn’t be marketed as a superior way to take a multivitamin. 0/10
FOR WOMEN
MaryRuth’s Organic Women’s Multivitamin Liposomal, £19.49 for 30 days, healf.com
COST PER DAY: 65p.
CLAIM: ‘Delivered via liposomal technology for better absorption.’
EXPERT VERDICT: ‘Liposomal’ means putting a protective fat bubble around nutrients in a pill or drink – it can be useful for certain vitamins where absorption or delivery is genuinely difficult. For example, vitamin C and B vitamins can be easily destroyed by stomach acid so a liposomal formula can help them reach the upper intestine intact.
But most of the vitamins here are already in forms that should be absorbed perfectly well, so it’s a bit of a gimmick. There’s also nothing that makes it specifically beneficial for women.
Its real value is as a palatable liquid (vanilla peach flavour) for people who hate or can’t swallow tablets. And it’s a decent formulation, with methylated B vitamins, plus 25mcg of vitamin D. 6/10
GUMMIES
Holland & Barrett Multivitamin Gummies, £6.99 for 30
COST PER DAY: 23p
CLAIM: ‘Key vitamins to reduce tiredness and fatigue, support your immune system, skin, hair and nails.’
EXPERT VERDICT: Gummies are appealing, as they taste nice and are easy to take. But there’s a limit to how much nutrition you can fit into a gummy without affecting taste, texture and stability, so they tend to offer lower doses than pills. There’s only 30mg of vitamin C here – less than half the recommended daily amount.
A recent study on gummies found around 25 per cent of C was lost during processing (the mixture has to be heated, which can damage some nutrients, and then set like a sweet). What we don’t know is whether this product has been formulated with extra vitamin C to compensate for that loss.
It’s also high in sugar and at the lower end of vitamin D at just 5mcg, with only half the recommended amounts of vitamin B6 and folic acid. 3/10
ORAL SPRAY
BetterYou Multivitamin Daily Oral Spray, £10.99 for 25ml (32 doses), betteryou.com
COST PER DAY: 34p
CLAIM: ‘14 essential nutrients scientifically developed for superior absorption.’
EXPERT VERDICT: This contains iodine and selenium and a good amount of vitamin D – 20mcg.
An oral spray is a smart, convenient format, however it’s not a superior delivery system.
Some nutrients, such as vitamin D may be absorbed through the lining of the mouth into the bloodstream, but in reality much of the dose is likely to be swallowed and absorbed through the gut like a normal supplement.
Plus, faster absorption is not a particularly useful benefit. The goal is to improve nutrient status over weeks and months, not to create an instant effect. But good for tablet-haters, children, or people with swallowing difficulties. 7/10
