Improvements to mood, stress and loneliness following 12-week multivitamin supplementation in older adults: a randomised, placebo-controlled, trial

Docherty S, Wetherell MA, McInnes L, Haskell-Ramsay CF. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2025 Mar;79(2):126-135.

Research has indicated the potential for multivitamin-mineral (MVM) supplementation to improve aspects of wellbeing and cognitive function in older adults via a range of biological mechanisms. However, outside of cognitive function, research rarely assesses other outcomes relevant to the everyday lives of older adults. The current study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a MVM supplement on meaningful outcomes of real-word functioning in older adults.

Study Design

This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigated the impact of 12 weeks of MVM supplementation on a range of psychosocial, cognitive and physical health outcomes, assessed using several online questionnaires, including:

• Wellbeing, mood and memory: the UK Office of National Statistics four subjective well-being questions (ONS4), perceived stress scale (PSS), perceived stress reactivity scale (PSRS), hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), profile of mood states (POMS), and prospective and retrospective memory questionnaire (PRMQ)
• Physical health and activity: the Cohen-Hoberman inventory of physical symptoms (CHIPS), Medical Outcomes Study short form-20 (SF-20), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Yale physical activity survey (YPAS), and Falls efficacy scale-international (FES-I)
• Social interaction and loneliness: the convoy method, Lubben social network scale (LSNS) and De Jong Gierveld loneliness scale (DJGLS)

Outcomes were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks in 228 older adults (>70 years) living in the UK.

Participants were instructed to take one MVM tablet daily with their main meal of the day with water or a cold drink. Ingredients differed slightly between the male and female MVMs, as shown in the table below.

Table 1. Breakdown of each ingredient included in the female and male MVM formulas (% UK NRVs).

Key Findings

MVM supplementation had no effect on wellbeing but did increase feelings of friendliness in females (p=0.045), according to the POMS. Authors commented that greater sensitivity to mood improvements following supplementation may be due to the known higher risk for depression in females. This is supported by the lower wellbeing scores reported by female compared to male participants at baseline in the current study.

In males, following MVM, there were lower levels of prolonged stress reactivity (p=0.007) and lower overall stress reactivity (p=0.019), according to the PSRS; and lower emotional loneliness (p=0.042), as measured by the DJGLS. The absence of stress reduction in females may be indicative of greater nutrient deficiencies in male participants at baseline. This is supported by males reporting drinking significantly more alcohol, and eating significantly less fruit and vegetables than females in the current study. Additionally, emerging research cited by the authors suggests that loneliness and stress are biologically interconnected, with stress responses potentially worsening health and reinforcing loneliness over time. This relationship may be particularly pertinent to vulnerable populations such as older adults.

Conclusion

MVM supplementation may support certain aspects of psychosocial wellbeing in older adults by increasing friendliness and reducing stress reactivity and loneliness. The possible influence of sex on these outcomes warrants further investigation in longer-term studies that evaluate responses in men and women separately. Inclusion of biomarkers of vitamin and mineral status could help clarify nutrient repletion, absorption and bioavailability following MVM supplementation.