Popular supplement may be secret to slowing down aging: study
Want to age a little more like Helen Mirren and a little less like your iPhone battery?
A new study says the fountain of youth might already be in your medicine cabinet.
Researchers of a trial called VITAL, which tracked women and men over 50 for five years, found that vitamin D supplements may help slow biological aging by as much as three years.
Another popular supplement — those infamous omega-3 fatty acids — was not shown to have the same effect.
This study, published Wednesday in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, revealed that vitamin D seems to shield telomeres — the tiny caps at the ends of your chromosomes that shrink as you age and are tied to diseases like cancer, heart issues and other chronic conditions.
Telomeres are like the caps on your shoelaces — when they wear down, things start to unravel quickly.
“Our findings that vitamin D supplementation preserved telomere length in the VITAL trial suggest a promising role for vitamin D in slowing a pathway for biological aging and age-related chronic disease,” Dr. JoAnn Manson, principal investigator of VITAL and chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told The Post.
“But we believe that replication of these results in a separate randomized trial will be important before changing general guidelines for vitamin D intake.”
That’s partly because what is considered an appropriate level of vitamin D remains, as she put it, “a controversial topic.”
“Blood levels for deficiency and recommended blood levels vary across organizations, labs and countries, which is one of the reasons for doubt about the test’s usefulness,” Manson said.
“For example, the National Academy of Medicine suggests a level at or above 20 milliliters (mL), but some other organizations recommend 30 mL or even higher levels. There’s no consensus or agreement on the optimal level to aim for.”
Furthermore, while many trusted health organizations don’t recommend routine vitamin D screening or supplementation for everyone, new guidelines from the Endocrine Society suggest supplements for certain groups — adults 75 and older, infants and children, pregnant women and prediabetics.
Manson pointed out that “they don’t specify a specific dose.”
She noted that other groups who might be at risk for vitamin D deficiency include those living in nursing homes where there may be little sun exposure, those with malabsorption conditions such as Crohn’s or celiac disease, those being treated for osteoporosis or other bone health problems and those with major dietary restrictions such as severe lactose intolerance.
She added that participants in their trial consumed 2000 IU/d — the equivalent of 5 mL — without any negative side effects, so she considers this a safe amount.
If supplements aren’t for you, other good sources of vitamin D include fatty fish — such as salmon, sardines and tuna — wild mushrooms, some cereals, dairy products, orange juice and the sun.
“Going out for a 15-minute walk a few times a week at midday is usually enough sunlight for the skin to synthesize vitamin D, and this can be incidental sun exposure, such as while running errands,” Manson said.
“Even more important for your health would be to exercise outdoors, such as brisk walking, jogging or playing sports.”
She also cautioned against thinking that more is better when it comes to supplements.
“We need only small-to-moderate amounts of vitamin D for good health because the vitamin’s metabolism is tightly regulated in the body,” she said. “Very high doses — such as more than 10,000 IU/d — may be associated with high blood or urine calcium levels and toxicity.”
Finally, don’t forget that supplements are only meant to supplement — not replace — lifestyle choices that benefit your well-being.
“Keep in mind that taking a supplement will never be a substitute for a healthy diet and healthy lifestyle,” Manson said.
“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 disease, cancer, Type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases of aging.”
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