Could vitamin D help add years to your life? Researchers are still working to answer this question, a new study providing evidence that vitamin D supplements can protect against a key engine of cell aging and age -related diseases.
“In terms of shortening of the telomeres, the effect was similar to the savings of about three years of aging,” said the main investigator of the test Joann Manson, MD, MPH, Drph, professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School and head of the preventive medicine division in Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Why prevent certain DNA changes helps slow aging
Telomeres are like the tiny plastic caps at the end of the laces that prevent the effiloche, according to Manson. In the body, telomeres prevent chromosomes from deteriorating when cells are divided to make new cells with precisely the same genetic material.
Whenever cells are divided, telomeres become a little shorter and do not protect chromosomes as well. When telomeres become too short, resulting DNA damage can cause cell death.
What does the study found?
For the study, the researchers divided the subjects into four groups, a group receiving 2,000 international units (IU) vitamin D3 (a common form of D) and 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acid per day. The other groups received either vitamin D and placebo, omega-3 and a placebo, or two placebos.
The researchers measured the length of the telomeres in the white blood cell samples taken from the participants at the start of the study, then two years and four years later.
Investigators found that vitamin D3 supplements considerably reduced the shortening of telomeres over four years, preventing the equivalent of almost three years of aging compared to the placebo.
Omega-3 fatty acid supplements had no significant effect on the length of the telomeres throughout the follow-up. This does not mean that omega-3 has no advantage, according to Manson, which notes that previous research has associated these nutrients with the prevention of cardiovascular disease and the reduction of heart attacks and strokes.
Get more vitamin D in your life
Although the 2,000 IU dose is much higher than the recommendation, the researchers have chosen this amount for this trial because previous research has shown that taking this quantity was linked to a lower risk of chronic disease, and no side effects or safety problems was associated with this level.
Manson warns, however, that excessive amounts of vitamin D can cause a higher calcium level in blood and urine, and a certain calcification can occur in blood vessels and soft tissues. Mega doses can also cause certain toxicities.
She also points out that vitamin D is not a remedy.
“Taking a pill or a food supplement will never be a substitute for a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle,” she said. “It is possible to get into the recommended food perlammation by eating foods rich in vitamin D.”
- Fish (like salmon, sardines, light tuna)
- Dairy products
- Alternatives to milk (like soy and almond drinks)
- Mushrooms
- orange juice
Vitamin D supplements can help some people more than others
Sue -llen Anderson-Haynes, RD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Founder of Health Resource Women’s Resource 360 Girls & Women, calls for statistical results of the “powerful” study, but says that it would also like to see future research examining how the diets rich in vitamin D and sun exposure can also influence the Telomeres.
Anderson-Haynes, who has not been involved in the study, notes that some populations can benefit more from supplementation than others. These may include older adults, those who take drugs for osteoporosis and those who have conditions that make it difficult for their bodies to absorb vitamin D, such as Crohn’s disease.
“The study really highlights the way vitamin D can help the body,” she says. “In addition to cell preservation, it helps so many health facets, including intestinal microbiome, mood and sleep.”
