"People who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than those with lower levels of vitamin D," says Dr Brent Richards from King's College, London.
In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dr Richards led a team of scientists who looked at 2,160 women aged 18 to 79 and measured their leukocyte telomere length (LTL) – a telomere is part of a chromosome that shortens with age, and LTL predicts age-related disease.
700 of the women examined already took vitamin D supplements and had longer telomeres than those who did not. A link was found between higher concentrations of vitamin D and increased telomere length.
"This could help explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many age-related conditions," researchers concluded.