A new study published in the journal Nutrients found that older adults who took a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement with zinc and high amounts of vitamin C experienced sickness for shorter periods and with less severe symptoms than counterparts in a control group receiving a placebo.
Key Findings:
- Older adults who took a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement with zinc and high amounts of vitamin C experienced sickness for shorter periods and with less severe symptoms than counterparts in a control group receiving a placebo.
- The multivitamin group showed improved vitamin C and zinc status in the blood.
- Illness symptoms reported by the multivitamin group were less severe and went away faster than those experienced by the placebo group.
Recommendations:
- Talk to your doctor about whether a multivitamin and mineral supplement is right for you.
- If you do decide to take a supplement, be sure to choose one that is high in vitamin C and zinc.
- Make sure to get plenty of rest and fluids when you are sick.
The study conducted by researchers at Oregon State University’s Linus Pauling Institute involved 42 healthy people ages 55 to 75 and was designed to measure the supplement’s effects on certain immune system indicators.
The multivitamin group showed improved vitamin C and zinc status in the blood, and most intriguingly, illness symptoms reported by this group were less severe and went away faster than those experienced by the placebo group.
The same percentage of participants in each group reported symptoms, but days of sickness in the supplement group averaged fewer than three compared to more than six for the placebo group.
The study suggests that additional larger studies designed for these outcomes are needed to explore the positive role multivitamin and mineral supplementation might play in bolstering the immune system of older adults.