Sunshine 'helps to keep you young'
A healthy dose of sunshine may be the secret to staying young, British scientists have revealed.
Vitamin D is producednaturally by the skin in response to sunlight and may help to slow theageing process and protect against heart disease, according to thestudy.
Researchers from King'sCollege London studied 2,160 women aged between 18 and 79, looking attheir telomeres - a biological marker of ageing found in DNA. As peopleget older their telomeres get shorter and they become more susceptible to certain illnesses.
But the study foundwomen with high levels of vitamin D had comparatively longer telomeres- a sign of being biologically younger and healthier.
The study suggests vitamin D may help to slow down the ageing process of DNA, and therefore the ageing process as a whole.
Lead researcher DrBrent Richards said: "These results are exciting because theydemonstrate for the first time that people who have higher levels ofvitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitaminD.
"This could help toexplain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing relateddiseases, such as heart disease and cancer."
He said further studies are required to confirm the findings.
Professor Tim Spector, head of KCL's twin research unit, and a co-author of the report, added: "Although itmight sound absurd, it's possible that the same sunshine which mayincrease our risk of skin cancer may also have a healthy effect on thegeneral ageing process."
Vitamin D made by theaction of sunlight on the skin accounts for 90 per cent of the body'ssupply, but lower levels can also be obtained through food such asfish, eggs and breakfast cereals.
Other studies have suggested the vitamin plays a key role in protecting against cancer and heart disease. |
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