A new study has found that vitamin D supplements can help maintain telomeres, protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten with age. This is significant because shorter telomeres are linked to an increased risk of certain diseases.
Researchers from Harvard-affiliated institutions conducted a randomized controlled trial involving 1,054 participants aged 55 and older. The study found that taking vitamin D supplements slowed down telomere shortening by nearly three years. However, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation had no significant effect on telomere length.
The findings suggest that targeted vitamin D supplementation may be a promising strategy to counter the biological aging process. While further research is needed, this study supports the potential benefits of vitamin D in slowing down age-related diseases.
Source: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2025/05/vitamin-d-supplements-may-slow-biological-aging