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Study summary · Nutrition, micronutrients & whole foods

Can a multivitamin and mineral (MVM) supplement improve immune function in healthy older adults?

In one paragraph

Zinc Picolinate, a randomized controlled trial — MVM supplementation may benefit healthy older adults by improving vitamin C and zinc status and self-reported health, but it did not show changes in measured immune function or status in this study. Follow-up ran 12 weeks.

Source: Nutrients 2020, PMID 32823974 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: low

Nutrients · 2020 · PMID 32823974 · DOI 10.3390/nu12082447

Plain-English summary written and published by Magellan Longevity · medical review by Gabriel Radu, DO (physiatrist, NPI 1376861765). We summarize what the paper reported — we did not run this study.

The takeaway

A multivitamin supplement improved vitamin C and zinc levels and self-reported health in older adults, but did not change measured immune function.

The question

Can a multivitamin and mineral (MVM) supplement improve immune function in healthy older adults?

What they tested

Taking a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement (MVM) could improve immune function in individuals 55 and older.

How they did it

Healthy older adults were randomized to receive either an MVM supplement (RedoxonVI) or an inactive placebo daily for 12 weeks. Researchers measured blood mineral and vitamin status (vitamin C, zinc, vitamin D), immune function (bacterial killing, neutrophil phagocytic activity, reactive oxygen species), immune status (salivary IgA, plasma cytokine/chemokine levels), and self-reported health status before and after treatment.

What they found

MVM supplementation improved blood vitamin C and zinc status, as well as self-reported health status. However, it did not alter measures of immune function, immune status, or vitamin D levels.

What it means

MVM supplementation may benefit healthy older adults by improving vitamin C and zinc status and self-reported health, but it did not show changes in measured immune function or status in this study.

Limitations

The study suggests that further development of functional assays and larger study populations are needed to better detect specific changes in immune function after supplementation in healthy older adults.

“MVM supplementation improved vitamin C and zinc status in blood and self-reported health status”— from the published abstract, Nutrients 2020

The paper at a glance

TitleThe Effect of a Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement on Immune Function in Healthy Older Adults: a randomized controlled trial
JournalNutrients
Year2020
PMID32823974 ↗
DOI10.3390/nu12082447 ↗
TopicNutrition, micronutrients & whole foods

Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗

Where Magellan uses this paper

This citation sits behind the evidence grade on the pages below. Grades are set from the research and are independent of affiliate commissions.

Zinc Picolinate

Multiple meta-analyses of randomized trials indicate that oral zinc, started soon after symptom onset, can modestly shorten the duration of common-cold symptoms, although a 2024 Cochrane update rated the certainty of this evidence low and the effect remains genuinely contested.

Zinc Picolinate

Zinc picolinate is a chelated form of the essential trace mineral zinc, in which zinc is bound to…

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Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.

Molecules & mechanisms in this paper

Each of these is named in the paper’s own words above. Open the monograph for the full mechanism and its other citations.

Reactive oxygen speciesVitamin CVitamin D

Cite this page

These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.

APA
Magellan Longevity. (2026). Can a multivitamin and mineral (MVM) supplement improve immune function in healthy older adults? [Plain-English summary of Nutrients 2020, PMID 32823974, DOI 10.3390/nu12082447]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d32823974.html
BibTeX
@misc{magellan_d32823974, title = {Can a multivitamin and mineral (MVM) supplement improve immune function in healthy older adults?}, author = {{Magellan Longevity}}, year = {2026}, howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d32823974.html}}, note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 32823974; DOI 10.3390/nu12082447; Nutrients 2020. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO}, urldate = {2026-08-11} }
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How this summary was made. Every section above restates what the published abstract of PMID 32823974 reports — the question, the design, the numbers, the authors’ own conclusion and their stated limitations. We do not add claims the paper did not make, and we keep negative and no-effect findings in. Magellan’s evidence grades are set from research like this and never from affiliate commissions.

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Educational information, not medical advice. This is a plain-English summary of published research; it is not a treatment recommendation and nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual studies can be wrong, and a single paper rarely settles a question. Talk to your physician before acting on any research, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medication.