Overview

• The VITAL sub-study demonstrated that 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily slowed telomere shortening, a key marker of cellular aging, by about 140 base pairs over four years.
• Participants taking vitamin D3 experienced the equivalent of nearly three years of delayed biological aging compared to those on placebo.
• Omega-3 fatty acids, also studied in the trial, showed no significant effect on telomere length or cellular aging.
• Telomere shortening is linked to increased risks of age-related diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.
• Researchers emphasize targeted vitamin D use for high-risk populations and caution against unregulated high-dose supplementation to avoid toxicity.