Fight All 12 Hallmarks of Aging

Scientists have recently identified 12 hallmarks of aging—key factors that determine how well you age.

The lifestyle choices I’m always telling you about, such as eating a healthy diet and exercising, play a monumental role in aging.

But if you want to address ALL 12 at once, be sure you’re getting plenty of this ONE anti-aging ally…

Gone are the days when vitamin D was only hailed for its bone health benefits.

Studies now show that vitamin D helps prevent heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and depression—while boosting immune function, weight loss, mood, and more.

Ultimately, having adequate vitamin D levels is associated with a longer life.

In a recent scientific review, researchers compiled evidence showing that vitamin D impacts all 12 hallmarks of aging.

Here’s a brief rundown…

1. Vitamin D helps protect against genomic instability, preventing DNA damage during cell division and replication.
2. It’s linked to longer telomeres, caps on the end of your DNA associated with better health and longer life.
3. It impacts anti-aging epigenetics (when genes are turned on or off), especially in genes involved in immunity and inflammation.
4. Cell and animal studies suggest that vitamin D helps maintain protein balance to fight accelerated aging.
5. Vitamin D supports your body’s ability to detect and respond to nutrients, critical for maintaining a healthy metabolism.
6. D supports autophagy, the body’s cellular cleanup process.
7. It helps combat cellular senescence, getting rid of “zombie” cells and reducing the inflammation they cause.
8. It combats mitochondrial dysfunction and supports proper energy production.
9. Cell studies show that D supports healthy stem cells, needed for repairing damaged tissues.
10. Vitamin D is critical for reducing aging inflammation in the body.
11. It helps combat dysbiosis in the gut.
12. Cell studies indicate that vitamin D could help cells communicate with one another.

When you see vitamin D’s sweeping impact on the keys to healthy aging, it’s hardly surprising that maintaining adequate levels can help you live a longer, healthier life.

This is why I always recommend having your blood levels tested. Aim for levels of 60 ng/mL or higher for optimal health-promoting, anti-aging benefits.

If you need to raise your vitamin D levels, your body’s BEST source is the sun.

Aim for 15 to 30 minutes of daily sun exposure, between 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. when the UVB rays are the strongest.

You can also download the “D Minder” app to your smartphone to pinpoint the optimal time to get your shot of age-fighting sunlight where you live.

I recommend taking a supplement only if you can’t get adequate vitamin D from being outdoors.

P.S. Get younger-looking skin in TWO weeks!

View Sources

Ruggiero, C., Tafaro, L., Cianferotti, L., Tramontana, F., Macchione, I. G., Caffarelli, C., Virdis, A., Ferracci, M., Rinonapoli, G., Mecocci, P., Napoli, N., & Calsolaro, V. Targeting the Hallmarks of Aging with Vitamin D: Starting to Decode the Myth. Nutrients, 16(6), 906.