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Older adults who take a daily multivitamin may be better able to maintain the stamina and physical function needed for everyday life, according to findings from a large randomized trial.

Researchers analyzing data from the COcoa Supplement Multivitamins Outcomes Study, known as COSMOS, found that participants assigned to take a multivitamin had significantly better functional-health scores after three years than those assigned a placebo.

The improvement was modest but potentially meaningful because functional health reflects how well people feel and manage ordinary activities — not simply whether they avoid a major disease. Such activities can include dressing, bathing, walking, climbing stairs, and completing household chores.

“What makes this work unique is our focus on functional health, how people actually feel and function in their daily lives — rather than just the prevention of major diseases,” said Bayu B. Bekele, a postdoctoral fellow at the Georgia Prevention Institute at Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia.

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The study

COSMOS participants were randomly assigned to receive a daily multivitamin, a cocoa-extract supplement, both supplements, or neither. Placebos allowed researchers to compare the groups while limiting bias.

Functional health was assessed using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire. The largest differences between the multivitamin and placebo groups appeared in symptom burden and the questionnaire’s clinical summary score, which combines measures of symptoms and physical ability.

Bekele said the results suggest multivitamin use may support heart health and physical function, potentially helping older people continue daily activities. The possible benefit may be particularly relevant for people whose routines are limited by fatigue, shortness of breath, or swelling in the feet, he said.

Cocoa extract did not significantly improve functional-health scores across the study population as a whole, although researchers observed a benefit among participants with congestive heart failure.

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Consult your provider

The findings do not establish that supplements can substitute for nutritious food or regular physical activity. Researchers also advised people to consult a doctor before starting a supplement, particularly because health conditions and medications can affect whether a product is appropriate.

Bekele presented the research at NUTRITION 2026, the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting, in National Harbor, Maryland. He conducted the study with Yanbin Dong, a Regents’ Professor of Medicine and director of the Georgia Prevention Institute.

The work was supported by a National Institutes of Health grant. Because the results were presented as a conference abstract and had not undergone the full peer-review process required for journal publication, they should be considered preliminary.