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A New Study Shows Vitamin D Supplements Help Slow Cellular Aging
Vitamin D status and intake have long been linked to longevity. In fact, previous research has linked it to improving all 12 hallmarks of aging, including telomere length.
If you think back to middle school biology, telomeres are the "caps" on the ends of each DNA strand, and they're actually a biomarker for biological aging (aka how old you are internally).
What research has observed thus far is that telomeres tend to get shorter with age. So finding ways to preserve their length—therefore protecting DNA—is of high interest to help slow aging and promote a longer life span. And vitamin D may help do just that.
A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition further solidified how vitamin D supplements, in particular, contribute to telomere health. Here's what you need to know.
About the study
For this study, researchers wanted to see if taking vitamin D or omega-3 supplements could slow down the shortening of telomeres.
To do that, they looked at data from 1,000 participants from the well known VITAL trial—a large, well-designed study of over 25,000 participants aged 50 and older—that had their telomere length measured at the start of the study, two years in, and again at four years.
Participants in this study were randomly assigned to one of four groups:
- Daily vitamin D3 supplementation (2,000 IU)
- Daily omega-3 supplementation (1,000 milligrams)
- Both
- Placebo
Vitamin D3 was linked to slower telomere shortening
Overall, results showed vitamin D supplements had the biggest impact on telomere shortening.
After four years, people taking vitamin D lost 140 fewer base pairs of telomere length compared to the placebo group—meaning their telomeres shrank less. On average, people tend to lose around 26 base pairs per year. So, this rate is much slower than what's expected.
Several previous studies on humans have shown a relationship between blood vitamin D levels and telomere length1. However, this was one of the first long-term randomized trials that showed the impact of vitamin D supplements.
These findings suggest that vitamin D supplements (and maintaining optimal blood levels of the vitamin) may support healthy aging and longevity by offering a level of DNA protection that slows cellular aging. In turn, this can help reduce the risk of age-related diseases.
In addition to supporting longevity at the cellular level, having optimal vitamin D levels is essential for immunity, muscle health, cognition, and bone health. Low vitamin D status is linked to an increased risk of falls and fractures, key events that accelerate aging.
While omega-3 supplements didn't show the same benefit to telomeres, these healthy fats are known to support longevity in other ways. For example, research shows a diet rich in omega-3s lowers triglyceride levels, reduces heart disease risk, and mitigates inflammation.
How to get optimal vitamin D levels
The thing is, most people fail to get enough of this crucial vitamin.
About 41% of adults in the U.S. have insufficient vitamin D2 levels (less than 30 ng/mL on a blood test), and 29% are vitamin D deficient (levels less than 20 mg/mL).
For optimal health and longevity, you really want your levels to be at or above 50 ng/mL.
And as this study shows, vitamin D supplements can be particularly beneficial—especially since achieving optimal levels though food and sunshine alone is near impossible.
Vitamin D supplements come in a variety of doses. This one looked at taking 2,000 IU daily, but some folks would benefit from ones that provide 5,000 IU.
We rounded up our expert-vetted top picks for vitamin D supplements here. And if you're unsure of what your vitamin D levels currently are, these are the best at-home vitamin D tests that can give you a good reference point.
The takeaway
This study further cinches the connection between vitamin D and an increasingly relied-on metric of aging: telomere length. So, if you aren't already taking a supplement daily, let this be your wake-up call. It's truly one of the easiest ways to promote longevity.
