Popular vitamin taken by many can slow down aging but there's a worrying catch
Unless you've got access to the Fountain of Youth, it's a sad fact that age comes for us all. Still, the average life expectancy in 2025 is 73.5 years, which is already quite the jump from 67.65 in 2000, and a huge leap from the average of just 32 years in 1925.
Some of us aren't bothered about aging, whereas others are trying to cling to their youth for as long as possible. Just look at biohacker Bryan Johnson, who's trying to 'live forever', or what about claims that Ozempic could help reverse aging?
Like when Johnson stopped taking a longevity drug over fears about what it was doing to his body, we're now being warned about a potential side effect of taking vitamin D.
Science Alert says that while vitamin D can be linked to slowing down the aging process in the body, it also comes with concerns about it increasing our chances of contracting certain diseases.
A recent study published in the National Library of Medicine points out how vitamin D could make us healthier for longer.
Advert
Those involved determined that taking 2,000 IU (the standard measure for vitamins) of vitamin D every day helps maintain your telomeres. Telomeres are the minuscule structures that protect our DNA when cells divide.
Likening them to the plastic caps on shoelaces, telomeres sit at the end of our 46 chromosomes and shorten every time a cell copies itself. Cells can eventually no longer divide because they become too short, meaning they die.
Shorter telomeres have been linked to the likes of cancer and heart disease, with smoking, chronic stress, and depression being among the factors that speed up their shortening.
More than just giving us strong bones, vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium. It's important that children, teenagers, and those with darker skin need more vitamin D to help gain stronger bones.
Research suggests that vitamin D supplements help tackle respiratory infections as it powers our immune system.
Some even claim that vitamin D can prevent autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis, although it's said that more trials are needed before this can be more widely backed up.
Remembering that inflammation damages telomeres, the anti-inflammatory effects of vitamin D might explain this protective role.
Augusta University followed 1,031 people who had an average age of 65 for five years, marking their telomeres at various intervals. Half of those in the study took 2,000 IU of vitamin D every day, while the others were given a placebo.
Telomeres were preserved by 140 base pairs in the vitamin D group when compared to the placebo group. Earlier studies revealed that telomeres shorten by around 460 base pairs over the course of a decade, meaning vitamin D really could be protecting them.
Similarly, other studies have reported how the Mediterranean diet could be responsible for longer telomeres.
Before you go running to the health store and chugging back packets of vitamin D or upping your intake of oily fish, the article also shares the potential side effects.
Notably, researchers think that longer telomeres can lead to an increased disease risk. The study used 2,000 IU of vitamin D, which is far higher than the recommended 600 IU for under-70s and 800 IU for those who are older.
Some research maintains that just 400 IU can prevent colds. Optimal doses depend on individual factors, with the main factors against aging being a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.