Published in Ageing Research Reviews, the study reported that specific groups, such as hypertensive individuals, may experience lower blood pressure due to multivitamin and mineral (MVM) supplementation.
Undernourished elderly and adults younger than 65 years old may also see a reduction in infections with MVM use.
However, MVM supplementation is not associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.
As such, researchers highlight the need to identify individuals who would most likely benefit from MVM supplementation.
“As this review demonstrates, the evidence for MVM supplementation to promote healthy longevity remains limited and inconclusive,” they wrote. “
To enhance the effectiveness of MVM supplementation in promoting healthy longevity, it is essential to identify individuals who are most likely to benefit from supplementation. Nutritional needs vary considerably across individuals due to genetics, age, sex, health status and lifestyle.”
The study was conducted by researchers from the Academy for Healthy Longevity housed within the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
Research funding came from both NUS and Haleon, which is known for its MVM brands Centrum and Caltrate.
The rapid review method
The review included 19 eligible meta-analyses assessing MVM use and bodily functions—cognitive health, psychological well-being, immune response, blood pressure regulation, COVID-19, pregnancy complications and birth outcomes—with data drawn from a total of 5,535,426 participants, including pregnant women.
These meta-analyses included clinical trials, observational studies and prospective cohort studies published on the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases from 2000 to 2025.
In general, the clinical trials primarily assessed the effect of MVM on cognitive function, psychological well-being, immune response, blood pressure regulation and COVID-19 outcomes.
Cohort and case-control studies, on the other hand, have contributed observational data on cancer incidence, cardiovascular events, pregnancy complications, birth outcomes and pediatric conditions.
Key findings
The researchers highlighted that the effects of MVM supplementation on health outcomes were mixed, with potential benefits primarily observed in specific groups such as older adults, individuals with lower baseline dietary quality and those with chronic conditions.
For example, MVM supplementation was found to produce a small but significant reduction in systolic blood pressure but no significant reduction in diastolic blood pressure.
Subgroup analyses found greater reductions in blood pressure levels in hypertensive individuals and those with chronic diseases, while minimal effects were reported in healthy individuals with normal blood pressure. MVM supplementation also did not lower the risk of hypertension in individuals with normal blood pressure.
“These RCT findings suggest that MVM intake lowers blood pressure in individuals with hypertension or chronic disease but has little effect in normotensive individuals and does not prevent hypertension,” the researchers wrote.
Another example is the potential of MVM supplementation to significantly reduce the number of infections among adults under the age of 65.
In contrast, no significant effect of MVM supplementation on infection rates in older adults, although findings indicated that MVM supplementation for at least could reduce the number of infections in undernourished older adults
“Overall, RCT findings indicate that MVM supplementation does not reduce infection risk in older adults from populations that are a mix of community-dwelling and institutionalized individuals who are typically healthy, but it may lower infection rates in younger adults from populations that are hospitalized, undernourished and acutely ill, particularly burn patients,” the researchers wrote.
Effects on women’s health
There was also limited evidence on MVM’s benefits for women, including pregnant women.
For example, pooled analysis of observational studies did not find associations between MVM use and incidence of breast cancer.
“Thus, observational findings suggest that MVM supplementation is not associated with the risk of breast cancer,” the researchers wrote.
Similarly, there was a lack of benefits for pregnant women, including a lower risk of gestational hypertension or preeclampsia incidence, except for one RCT involving 955 participants that showed a potential protective effect on gestational hypertension.
Future research
Based on the findings, the researchers proposed that future clinical trials examine the effects of MVM supplementation in specific populations that have demonstrated, or confirmed via laboratory tests, deficiencies in micronutrient levels.
“Stratification by baseline nutritional status, dietary intake and genetic or lifestyle factors may help identify subgroups most likely to benefit,” they wrote. “Overall, the findings revealed a lack of consistency in the definition of MVM supplementation and substantial variability in MVM effectiveness depending on population, age, and health status.
“These results highlighted the importance of shifting from generalized supplementation approaches to more targeted, personalized nutritional strategies to support healthspan and longevity.”
Source: Ageing Research Reviews, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2025.102965. “Multivitamin and mineral use: A rapid review of meta-analyses on health outcomes”. Authors: Weilan Wang, et al.
