Key points from article :
A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that taking vitamin D3 supplements daily could slow biological ageing by protecting the length of telomeres—protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that naturally shorten with age. The research analysed data from the Vital clinical trial, which followed US adults over 50 for five years, examining the effects of vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on telomere length.
Lead author JoAnn Manson from Brigham and Women’s Hospital highlighted that this is the first large-scale, long-term randomized trial to demonstrate vitamin D’s role in preserving telomeres. The study found that vitamin D3 supplementation reduced telomere shortening by an amount equivalent to preventing nearly three years of ageing compared to a placebo. In contrast, omega-3 fatty acids showed no significant effect on telomere length.
Researchers see vitamin D3 as a promising tool to slow the cellular ageing process and potentially lower risks of age-related diseases, though they stress that more research is needed to confirm these findings and fully understand the benefits.
