Vitamin D may help slow down biological aging by reducing telomere shortening, a key marker of cellular aging, according to new research. The study, conducted by researchers at Harvard-affiliated institutions, involved 25,871 participants and found that those taking vitamin D supplements experienced significantly reduced telomere shortening compared to those taking a placebo.
Telomeres are the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that shorten with each cell division. Shortened telomeres can lead to cellular aging and an increased risk of various diseases. The study’s results suggest that vitamin D supplementation prevented the equivalent of nearly three years of aging in telomere terms.
However, experts have raised concerns about the reliability and rigor of the study, particularly regarding the methodology used and the lack of diverse participant pools. Dr. Mary Armanios, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, questioned the health implications of the findings due to the continuous range of normal telomere length across all ages.
The Endocrine Society’s vitamin D recommendations state that in the general population aged 75 years and older, empiric vitamin D supplementation may be recommended to lower mortality risk. Other experts, including Dr. Michael Holick and JoAnn Manson, expressed support for the findings, highlighting the potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation on reducing mortality risk.
Further research is needed to better understand how vitamin D affects telomere dynamics and cellular aging in more diverse populations.
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/new-research-vitamin-d-slow-aging-process-2076516