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A new study suggests that Vitamin D supplements may support telomere health, the protective ends of chromosomes crucial for healthy aging. This indicates Vitamin D may help slow aging, fueling optimism that it could enhance longevity and health.
Telomeres are at the ends of our 46 chromosomes and shorten with each cell division. Once they become critically short, cells lose their ability to divide and ultimately perish. Shortened telomeres are associated with age-related chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and osteoarthritis.
The research included a randomized trial of about 1,000 individuals, all over 50 years old that were split into two groups. One group received 2,000 IU of vitamin D supplements daily, while the other group took placebo pills.
Vitamin D showed a beneficial effect on telomere length. Participants taking vitamin D experienced minimal telomere shortening at the two- and four-year marks, while the placebo group saw significant telomere shortening at both intervals. After four years, the vitamin D group exhibited less than half the telomere shortening compared to the placebo group.
By preserving telomere length and safeguarding DNA, vitamin D supports cellular integrity and may prolong the functional lifespan of immune cells. It can also help regulate inflammation, which is linked to cellular aging and age-related diseases. Vitamin D stabilizes chromosomes, which enables cells to operate more efficiently and lowers the risk of premature cell death.
Future studies can investigate the reasons behind vitamin D’s effects on telomere length, such as its potential influence on telomerase, an enzyme that extends telomeres, or its role in protecting against DNA damage.
To view the original scientific study click below:
Vitamin D3 and marine ω-3 fatty acids supplementation and leukocyte telomere length: 4-year findings from the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) randomized controlled trial
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