Could vitamin D help add years to your life? Researchers are still working to answer that question, with a new study providing evidence that vitamin D supplements may protect against a key driver of cellular aging and age-related diseases.
“In terms of telomere shortening, the effect was similar to saving about three years of aging,” says principal trial investigator JoAnn Manson, MD, MPH, DrPH, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of the division of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Why Preventing Certain DNA Changes Helps Slow Aging
Telomeres are like the tiny plastic caps at the end of shoelaces that prevent fraying, according to Manson. In the body, telomeres keep chromosomes from deteriorating when cells divide to make new cells with precisely the same genetic material.
Every time cells divide, telomeres get a little shorter and don’t protect chromosomes as well. When telomeres get too short, the resulting DNA damage can lead to cell death.
What Did the Study Find?
For the study, researchers divided the subjects into four groups, with one group receiving 2,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D3 (a common form of D supplement) and 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acid per day. The other groups received either vitamin D and a placebo, omega-3 and a placebo, or two placebos.
The researchers measured telomere length in white blood cell samples taken from participants at study start, then two years and four years later.
The investigators found that vitamin D3 supplements significantly reduced telomere shortening over four years, preventing the equivalent of nearly three years of aging compared with placebo.
Omega-3 fatty acid supplements had no significant effect on telomere length throughout follow-up. This doesn’t mean that omega-3s have no benefit, according to Manson, who notes that prior research has associated these nutrients with cardiovascular disease prevention and reduction in heart attacks and stroke.
Getting More Vitamin D Into Your Life
While the dosage of 2,000 IU is much higher than the recommendation, the researchers chose this amount for this trial because previous research demonstrated that taking this quantity was linked to a lower risk of chronic disease, and no side effects or safety issues were associated with this level.
Manson warns, however, that excessive amounts of vitamin D can lead to a higher calcium level in blood and urine, and some calcification may occur in the blood vessels and in the soft tissue. Mega doses can also cause certain toxicities.
She also stresses that vitamin D is not a cure-all.
“Taking a pill or a dietary supplement will never be a substitute for a healthy diet and healthy lifestyle,” she says. “It is possible to get up to the recommended dietary allowance by eating foods that are high in vitamin D.”
- Fish (such as salmon, sardines, light tuna)
- Dairy products
- Milk alternatives (such as soy and almond beverages)
- Mushrooms
- Orange juice
Vitamin D Supplements May Help Some People More Than Others
Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the founder of the women’s health resource 360 Girls & Women, calls the statistical results of the study “powerful,” but says she would also like to see future research examine how diets rich in vitamin D and sun exposure may influence telomeres.
Anderson-Haynes, who was not involved in the study, notes that certain populations may benefit more from supplementation than others. These may include older adults, those taking medicines for osteoporosis, and those with conditions that make it difficult for their bodies to absorb vitamin D, such as Crohn’s disease.
“The study really shines a light on how vitamin D can help the body,” she says. “In addition to cellular preservation, it helps in so many facets of health including the gut microbiome, mood, and sleep.”
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