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Vitamin D supplements may slow aging: Study
The VITAL randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial studied vitamin D3 supplementation effects on telomere length over four years in U.S. adults aged 50 and older.
This trial arose from telomere shortening as a natural aging process linked to age-related diseases and sought to test if vitamin D3 could slow this shortening.
The sub-study involved 1,054 participants whose white blood cell telomere length was measured at baseline, Year 2, and Year 4 to assess supplementation impact.
Results showed vitamin D3 supplements significantly reduced telomere shortening by about 140 base pairs, equivalent to nearly three years of aging, while omega-3 had no effect.
The findings suggest vitamin D3 may slow cellular aging by preserving telomere length, though researchers emphasize further study is needed to confirm broader implications.