(NewsNation) — Vitamin D does many wonders for the human body, and now, supplements have added one more.
According to findings published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on May 21, vitamin D supplements, across a four-year study, slowed the shortening of telomeres, the protective caps at the end of chromosomes that shrink as one ages.
“The finding that these telomeres seem to be protected against shortening, and that their length was being preserved by vitamin D supplementation, suggested that vitamin D may have a role in slowing biological aging,” Dr. JoAnn Manson, study coauthor and chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told Fortune.
The 25,871 people studied also took Omega-3 supplements. Those showed to have “no significant effect” on shortening telomeres.
Results suggest 2000 IU, or 50 micrograms, of vitamin D with or without Omega-3 supplements may stall telomere erosion.
The National Institute of Health recommends 600 IU a day for individuals aged between 1 and 70 and 800 IU for those above 70.
“Having a healthy diet and time outdoors, being physically active, will be enough for the majority of the population to have adequate vitamin D status,” Manson said.