Vitamin D anti aging supplements may slow biological aging by 3 years, a new research called “VITAL” finds by analyzing the men and women over 50. According to the study, vitamin D seems to protect the telomeres which are tiny caps at the end of human chromosomes that get shrink as people age and causes chronic diseases, publish in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Dr. Joann Manson, head investigator of VITAL and chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said, “Our finding that Vitamin D supplements preserved telomere length in the VITAL trials suggests a promising role for vitamin D in slowing a pathway for biological aging and age-related chronic disease.”
“But we believed that replication of these results in a separate randomized trial will be important before changing general guidelines for Vitamin D intake,” she added. That’s partially due to the consideration of an appropriate level of vitamin D still being underway, as she called it “a controversial topic.”
Moreover, she stated that deficiency in blood levels and recommended blood levels are considered different across organizations, labs and countries, which is the reason for uncertainty about the test’s usefulness. For instance, the National Academy of Medicine recommended 30 ML or even higher levels of supplements but there is no agreement on the optimal level.
However, many health organizations never recommend routine screening of Vitamin D for everyone. A study from the Endocrine Society mentions supplements for certain groups, such as adults over 75, infants, children, pregnant ladies and prediabetic patients. Even though Manson revealed that “They don’t specify a specific dose,”
She also points out that other groups, such as those who live in nursing homes with little sun exposure, patients with malabsorption conditions, and those being treated for osteoporosis and major dietary restrictions, are also includes who might be at risk of Vitamin D deficiency. She also revealed that participants in their research consumed almost 5 ML without any negative side effects.
“If supplements aren’t for you, other sources of vitamin D include, for example, fatty fish, Wild mushrooms , dairy products, orange juice, some cereals and the essential one, the sun. Mason said. She even suggested 15 minutes of walking at midday a few times a week is enough sunlight for skin to absorb vitamin D.
She also warned about thinking “more is better” when people take supplements. “we only needed small-to-moderate amounts of Vitamin metabolism is tightly regulated in the body,” she added. “Very high doses, such as more than 10,000 IU/d (equivalent to 25 mL), may be associated with high blood or urine calcium levels and toxicity.”
She also suggests that we should keep in mind that supplements are meant only to supplement and can never ever be a replacement for a healthy lifestyle and diet. “Although it’s much easier to pop a pill than to be physically active outdoors and eat healthfully, these lifestyle factors will do more to keep you healthy and lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases of aging,” Mason stated.
