(Tom:
Some people still hold the view that vitamins are an expensive way to turn your pee yellow.
Some tell me that you can get all the nutrients you need from the food you eat.
This survey show both of those viewpoints need to be updated in line with the evidence.
You DO need more than the standard diet provides and it is NOT a waste of money, it is actually a very worth while investmment in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
If, after ready it, you want to improve your prospects of maintaining your functional health, email or call me. My NutriBlast Greens Plus has a proven track record of helping many people lose mental fog and boost energy.
If a powder does not suit, ask me about the Amway Multivitamin/Multiminerals that may better fit your preferences.)
Sarah Otto writes:
Most of the time, when someone suggests you take a daily multivitamin, the reasoning is pretty vague. “It fills in the gaps.” “Can’t hurt.” “Just in case.”
Not exactly compelling.
But a large new study just gave me a much more specific reason to pay attention. And it has nothing to do with preventing a particular disease.
It’s about whether you can still climb the stairs. Get dressed without help. Carry the shopping in from the car. Do the household chores that keep your life yours.
Researchers at Augusta University analysed data from more than 16,000 adults aged 60 and over, all enrolled in a major randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial called COSMOS. Participants were randomly assigned to take either a daily multivitamin, a cocoa extract supplement, both, or neither. Placebos were used across all groups, and nobody knew which they were taking.
After three years, the multivitamin group scored significantly better on measures of what researchers call “functional health.”
Not disease markers. Not blood work. Functional health: how well you can actually manage the physical demands of everyday life.
The most notable improvements showed up in two areas: how much symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, and swelling interfered with daily activities, and a combined score reflecting both symptom burden and physical capability.
In practical terms, we’re talking about things like bathing, walking, climbing stairs, doing household chores, and simply getting through the day without being completely wiped out.
It wasn’t asking whether a multivitamin prevents heart disease or cancer or diabetes. It was asking something far more practical: does it help people actually feel and function better in their daily lives?
And in a trial of this size, over three years, the answer appears to be yes.
The researchers suggested the benefits may come from supporting cognitive function, circulation, and physical endurance. All of which contribute to whether you can keep doing the things that make your life independent.
I think there’s something pretty powerful about that. Not a dramatic intervention. Not a breakthrough drug. Just a simple daily habit that, alongside eating well and staying active, may help preserve the everyday abilities most of us take for granted until they start to slip.
Yours for better health, naturally,
Sarah Otto
Nutritionist (Master of Human Nutrition)
Goodness Lover Co-Founder
Scientific Reference:
Bekele, B.B. & Dong, Y. Multivitamin supplementation and functional health in older adults: Analysis from the COSMOS trial. Presented at NUTRITION 2026, American Society for Nutrition Annual Meeting, National Harbor, MD, July 2026.