Get your D-rating for anti-aging
We're not done yet with the aging process (in any sense of the term.)
There was another study done that measured aging-related changes in the DNA. They enrolled 2,000 women between the ages of 18 and 79—a nice, wide picture.
What researchers found was that the higher a participant's vitamin D level, the fewer DNA changes they showed.
The team went down to the cellular level to look specifically at white blood cells. (They turn over much more quickly than other cells in the body.) There are certain strands of DNA in your body called telomeres. These strands shorten as the cell reproduces itself. So, observing these strands is a window onto the aging process.
Researchers measured the length of these telomeres within the white blood cells. Next, they measured the level of vitamin D. Then they compared the two measurements, and here's what they found: Women with higher levels of vitamin D also had longer telomeres.
It has been recognized that vitamin D has a protective effect on multiple health fronts. And if it helps to slow down the whole process of aging (which we all dread), I say so much the better.
You can have your vitamin D levels measured by your doctor. The test to ask for is the 25-hydroxy vitamin D level. The ideal range is between 40 and 70 ng/ml.
Once you have your level, there are multiple ways to ensure that you get yours up to par. One of the most important ways you can get vitamin D is naturally— from the sun.
We've been trained for years to avoid the sun for fear of risking skin cancer. And if we do venture into the sun, we're advised to cover up from head to toe after first slathering on a ton of sun block.
While it's good advice to avoid turning yourself into a human lobster, I recommend you hold off on the sunscreen slather by about 20 minutes. Make sure your skin is exposed to the sun during that time frame. Repeat this regimen several times per week.
