Vitamin D-NA
Can Vitamin D make your DNA younger?
Each of us has DNA that is tightly wrapped up in structures called chromosomes. Each time a cell divides, the chromosomes get pulled apart, copied, then put back together. You can imagine that a lifetime of this would cause a lot of wear and tear on these structures. So there has to be a way to protect chromosomes from this constant wear and tear. At the ends of each chromosome lie protective caps that are called telomeres, and these act like the plastic tips on your shoelaces. Telomeres are specialized sequences of DNA that guard your genetic material against damage during cell division. But each time a cell divides, telomeres naturally shorten by just a little bit. When they become too short, the cell either stops dividing or dies. This deterioration of our telomeres is considered a fundamental hallmark of cellular aging and is linked to higher risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, and overall mortality.
Recently, the VITAL Telomere Study was published. It was a sub-study of just over 1,000 participants in the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL), which was a large randomized controlled trial that enrolled over 25,000 adults across the U.S, and looked at the effects of Vitamin D and Omega-3 Fatty Acids on human health. The VITAL study randomized participants to receive vitamin D3 (2000 IU/day), omega-3s (1 g/day), both, or placebo.
The overall study did not show any significant long-term benefit to the use of Vitamin D. But the telomere sub-study revealed that participants receiving vitamin D₃ had LONGER telomeres after 4 years, compared to placebo. In fact, the Vitamin D - takers had 140 base pairs (bp) more telomere DNA, which the authors reported corresponded to about 3 years of an “anti-aging” effect, based on typical telomere shortening rates (which naturally shorten by~460 bp over 10 years). Telomere shortening was significantly less at both 2 and 4 years in the vitamin D group, while the placebo group experienced steady erosion of telomere length.
Of note, Omega-3 Fatty Acids showed no significant benefit
We don’t actually know how or why the Vitamin D appeared to exhibit this effect, but it is possible due to increased telomerase activity, which is an enzyme that rebuilds telomeres. Prior trials actually showed a 19% increase in telomerase activity with vitamin D supplementation. Alternatively, Vitamin D may reduce Oxidative Stress & DNA Damage: Telomeres are especially vulnerable to oxidative stress. Vitamin D has been shown to reduce DNA damage in both human and animal studies. Finally, the Vitamin D may modulate the immune system and we know that telomere shortening is a feature of immune aging, called immunosenescence.
Certain groups appeared to benefit even more from vitamin D supplementation:
- Adults under age 64
- Non-obese individuals (BMI < 30)
- Nonsmokers
- People with low baseline vitamin D levels
- Participants not on cholesterol-lowering medications
This study adds to the growing body of evidence that vitamin D plays a role in healthy aging:
- Prevention of Autoimmune Disease: In earlier VITAL findings, vitamin D supplementation reduced incident autoimmune disease by 22%, with greater effects seen in those with lower BMI and after a 2-year latency.
- Reduced Inflammation: Vitamin D supplementation lowered C-reactive protein (CRP)—a key marker of systemic inflammation—by 19%.
- Lower Risk of Advanced Cancer: VITAL also reported a 17% reduction in metastatic or fatal cancer in the vitamin D group.
These benefits may be partly mediated by telomere preservation, offering a molecular explanation for vitamin D’s protective role.
While these results are promising, it is important to note that the study was not originally designed to assess telomere length as a primary outcome. So really this is more thought-provoking than anything else. But the large sample size, robust methodology, and long-term follow-up make this one of the strongest RCTs to date on vitamin D and cellular aging.
Vitamin D supplementation (2000 IU/day) over 4 years helped slow telomere shortening in older adults, potentially delaying the onset of age-related disease. Omega-3s, while beneficial for many other health outcomes, did not significantly impact telomere length in this trial.
As the search for the fountain of youth continues, vitamin D may prove to be a simple, low-cost strategy to preserve genomic stability and promote healthy aging.
So if you're over 50, have darker skin, or live in northern latitudes, consider having your Vitamin D level checked and think about supplementing with 2000 IU/day of vitamin D₃, especially if your 25(OH)D level is below 30 ng/mL.
At Wisconsin Cardiology Associates, we recommend getting your Vitamin D by being outdoors in the sun! Aim for 30 mins of moderate intensity exercise 5-7 days/week.
Our clinic is open and we are accepting new patients
