Vitamin That Slows Aging: Scientists Also Discovered How
Scientists have discovered that supplementation with one vitamin can significantly slow the shortening of telomeres – a marker of biological aging.
Vitamin D has long been associated with health and longevity, but new research further confirms this link. A study published in the prestigious journal American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that daily intake of vitamin D can slow the shortening of telomeres – protective caps at the ends of DNA strands that are connected to the process of biological aging, reports N1.
Telomeres naturally shorten with age, and their length is directly associated with longevity and health. In this study, scientists analyzed data from a thousand individuals from the large VITAL trial, which included more than 25,000 people over the age of 50. Participants were randomly assigned to groups receiving vitamin D3 (2,000 IU), omega-3 fatty acids, a combination of both, or a placebo.
Four years later, those who took only vitamin D3 lost 140 fewer base pairs of telomeres than those in the placebo group – indicating a significantly slowed aging process.
Although omega-3 fatty acids did not show the same effect on telomeres, they are known to positively affect heart health, reduce inflammation, and lower triglyceride levels.
In addition to slowing aging, vitamin D is also important for immunity, muscle health, bones, and cognitive functions. Many people have low levels of this vitamin, and the optimal blood level is 50 ng/mL or higher – which is hard to achieve through sun exposure and diet alone.
That is why daily supplementation is often recommended. Doses of 2,000 to 5,000 IU per day can play a key role in healthier aging, and home testing of vitamin D levels is becoming more accessible.
New scientific findings further confirm that vitamin D can play an important role in slowing biological aging by protecting DNA. If you're not doing it already, maybe it’s time to seriously consider daily supplementation.
