Multivitamin, Mineral Supplements May Bolster the Immune System of Older Adults

A study by Oregon State University (OSU) researchers published in Nutrients found older adults administered a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement with zinc and high amounts of vitamin C for 12 weeks were ill for shorter periods and had less severe symptoms than controls receiving a placebo, reports News-Medical . The investigators looked at 42 healthy people 55 to 75 years old. Immune indicators, including white blood cells' ability to kill incoming pathogens, were unchanged in the cohort receiving the supplement. The multivitamin group exhibited improved vitamin C and zinc status in the blood, while illness symptoms had less severity and abated faster than those experienced by the placebo group. The same percentages in each group reported symptoms, but sickness days in the supplement group averaged fewer than three compared to more than six for the placebo group. "Our results suggest more and better designed research studies are needed to explore the positive role multivitamin and mineral supplementation might play in bolstering the immune system of older adults," said OSU Professor Adrian Gombart.