Published on: May 21, 2025
Results from the VITAL randomized controlled trial indicate that vitamin D supplementation may help preserve telomeres—protective DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes that naturally shorten with age and are linked to the onset of certain diseases. The findings, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, come from a sub-study of VITAL co-led by researchers at Mass General Brigham and the Medical College of Georgia, and highlight vitamin D's potential role in slowing a key biological aging pathway.
VITAL is the first large-scale, long-term randomized trial to demonstrate that vitamin D supplements can protect telomeres and help maintain their length,” said co-author Dr. JoAnn Manson, principal investigator of the VITAL study and chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, part of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. “This is especially noteworthy given VITAL’s earlier findings that vitamin D also helps reduce inflammation and lowers the risk of several age-related diseases, including advanced cancer and autoimmune conditions.”
Telomeres consist of repetitive DNA sequences that safeguard chromosome ends from damage or fusion. As we age, telomeres naturally shorten, which is associated with a higher risk of age-related diseases.
While smaller and shorter-term studies have hinted at a possible link between vitamin D or omega-3 fatty acid supplements and telomere preservation, the evidence has been inconsistent. VITAL—a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial—evaluated the effects of daily supplementation with vitamin D3 (2,000 IU) and omega-3 fatty acids (1 gram) in U.S. men aged 50 and older and women aged 55 and older over a five-year period. The Telomere sub-study involved 1,054 participants, with telomere length measured in white blood cells at the start, and again at years 2 and 4.
Participants who received vitamin D3 experienced significantly less telomere shortening over the four years compared to those on placebo—effectively slowing biological aging by the equivalent of nearly three years. In contrast, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation did not have a notable impact on telomere length during the study.
These findings suggest that vitamin D supplementation could be a promising strategy for slowing biological aging, although additional research is needed, said Dr. Haidong Zhu, lead author and molecular geneticist at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.
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