For some people, it’s the holy grail. Is there a way to slow down aging or rewind your body clock even though many years have passed? Even better if it’s as simple as taking a pill every day.
Vitamin D has long been a popular candidate because it’s important for building muscles and bones, which commonly wear out and weaken as we age. Research shows that a lack of vitamin D worsens health conditions related to aging. Muscle loss and risk of falls will increase.
So can taking vitamin D supplements slow down its decline or even reverse it?
Well, just like aging itself, it’s complicated. A new review by Italian researchers examined the evidence to summarize what we know. Take our quiz, starting with what aging looks like on a biological level.
of Characteristics of aging A long list of cellular changes is created, including shortened telomeres, unstable genes, molecular markers on DNA, and chronic inflammation.
But Carmelinda Ruggiero, a geriatrics expert at the University of Perugia in Italy, and her colleagues say: explain in their paperthese characteristics are “incredibly complex and highly interconnected” processes that are generally not as detectable as a general decline in strength and mobility, which are the first clinical features that doctors recognize in aging. It’s not easy to do.
For decades, clinicians have recommended vitamin D supplements for people with osteoporosis and to prevent bone fractures due to vitamin D deficiency. related to those conditions.
That makes sense, because vitamin D aids absorption of calcium. Although vitamin D contained in certain foodsit may be difficult to get enough just from your diet Or you not getting enough sunlight.
However, more recent clinical trials have shown that vitamin D supplements Not necessarily useful for prevention Decrease in bone mass due to aging, fracture For otherwise healthy people.
Similarly, Ruggiero and colleagues summarized observational studies and clinical trials examining the potential effects of vitamin D on the biological characteristics of aging. It turned out that there was a lack of evidence: “To date, evidence in humans is scant and based primarily on preclinical studies. [animal] model. ”
Some studies suggest that vitamin D can slow epigenetic aging This is because people with low levels of vitamin D are biologically older than those with sufficient levels.Vitamin D supplementation may also be helpful. Reduce DNA damage However, it does not seem to affect telomere length.
There is also little evidence about what doses and at what ages vitamin D supplements are effective, as there are very few human studies and mixed results.
Some studies have shown that taking certain doses of vitamin D can safe for the general public, but that may not be the case for everyone. Research shows that taking large amounts of vitamin D can be harmful. Even vitamin D supplements Interactions with prescription drugslike cholesterol lowering statins.
Although it may seem logical to supplement low levels of vitamin D, experts say Taking more vitamins in supplement form is not necessarily better for your health. This can lead people to ignore other things they can do to improve their health and live longer, such as eating a balanced diet and getting outside.
“Despite the interest in vitamin D supplementation as a strategy to support human longevity and some evidence about vitamin D’s potential to modulate the hallmarks of aging, we have not reached the bench-to-bed tipping point. “We are still a long way off,” Ruggiero and colleagues said. conclude.
A review has been published nutrients.
