D-fend your youth

Want to slow down the aging process? Who doesn't! Just the same, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who wouldn't like to live for as long as they possibly can. Well, based on research out of King's College in London, one way to help make this happen is to make sure you're getting enough vitamin D.

The findings of this research, which are published in a 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, show a link between vitamin D and the leukocyte telomere length. Telomeres are DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that become shorter as a person gets older, and also shorten as a result of cell division and inflammation. Researchers discovered that women with the highest levels of vitamin D had the longest telomers, even when age differences were taken into account. Furthermore, women with the lowest levels of vitamin D were found to have the highest levels of C-reactive protein, which is a marker for chronic inflammation.

Foods that are rich in vitamin D include: Salmon, tuna, mackerel, milk, and many other dairy products. Plus, you of course can also get your daily dose of vitamin D from exposure to sunlight.