Vitamin D
Vitamin800 to 2000 IU daily recommended if blood level under 20 ng/mL; shown to benefit telomeres in two RCTs
Food Sources
Foods that contain Vitamin D.
- Fatty Fish
A diet high in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna helps in preventing vitamin D deficiency
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
- Fatty fish
Fatty fish species rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
- Salmon
Sources of dietary vitamin D include fish such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel.
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
- Sardines
Sources of dietary vitamin D include fish such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel.
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
- Herring
Sources of dietary vitamin D include fish such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel.
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
- Mackerel
Sources of dietary vitamin D include fish such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel.
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
- Eggs
Sources of dietary vitamin D include egg yolks.
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
- Almond Milk
Supplemented with vitamin D
Source: The Longevity Diet
- Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a superfood containing three different sources of B vitamins and vitamin D, which help the body better absorb calcium
Source: The Young Forever Cookbook
Health Benefits
Health conditions that Vitamin D may influence, based on research.
Protects Against
- Telomere Shortening800 IU/day or 60,000 IU once a month
Two double-blind RCTs both showed benefits
Source: How Not to Age
- Asthma
Found effective for preventing exacerbations in people with low baseline vitamin D levels
Source: How Not to Age
- Acute Respiratory Tract Infections
Effective for preventing but apparently not treating acute respiratory tract infections
Source: How Not to Age
- Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
Systematic review and meta-analysis found vitamin D supplementation prevents acute respiratory infections
Source: How Not to Age
- Osteoporosis
The most significant impact of deficiency is on bone metabolism. Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation resulted in a statistically significant 15% reduced risk of total fractures and 30% reduced risk of hip fractures.; Vitamin D status can affect both menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration is correlated with menopausal status.
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
- COVID-19
Some studies offer evidence that vitamin D status may influence the severity of response to Covid-19 by reducing survival and replication of viruses and reducing inflammatory cytokine production.
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
- Cognitive decline
Regarding ageing, vitamin D deficiency can be associated with impaired cognition, depression, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
- Bone Fracture
Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation resulted in 15% reduced risk of total fractures and 30% reduced risk of hip fractures.
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
- Sarcopenia
Vitamin D could influence muscle functioning by regulating protein synthesis and mitochondrial functioning; vitamin D status is related to improved physical functioning and protective against falls
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
- Alzheimer's disease
Higher vitamin D levels associated with better cognitive outcomes (Maddock et al. 2015)
Source: Outlive
- Dementia
Deficiency implicated in brain aging and dementias
Source: The Longevity Diet
- Biological aging4,000 IU daily
4,000 IU daily reduced biological age by 1.85 years in 16 weeks.
Source: Young Forever
Reduces Risk Of
- Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
Reduces risk in children and adolescents but does not seem to make a difference in adults
Source: How Not to Age
- Cancer
Vitamin D3 did seem to reduce risk of dying from cancer, though effect was small (supplement 250 people for a year to prevent a single cancer death)
Source: How Not to Age
- Type 2 diabetes
Vitamin D deficiency associated with increased risk for diabetes
Source: The Longevity Diet
- Cardiovascular Disease
Vitamin D deficiency associated with increased risk for cardiovascular diseases
Source: The Longevity Diet
Improves
- Mild Cognitive Impairment400-2000 IU daily
400 IU daily for 12 months significantly improved cognition in elderly with MCI; 800 IU improved Alzheimer's patients; 2000 IU best for learning and memory
Source: How Not to Age
- Cognitive decline2000 IU/day
Those taking 2000 IU/day performed better in learning/memory than 600 IU, but 4000 IU did worse on reaction time; other trials found no clear differences
Source: How Not to Age
- All-Cause Mortality
Systematic reviews of vitamin D supplementation showed mixed results for non-skeletal outcomes; large RCTs like VITAL did not show significant benefits for cancer or CVD prevention
Source: How Not to Age
- Menopause symptoms
Oral consumption of vitamin D may be able to modify any adverse effects associated with the menopause.
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
Biological Mechanisms
How Vitamin D works at a cellular level.
- PromotesTelomerase Activation
Vitamin D supplementation associated with increased telomerase activity in overweight African Americans; improved cognitive function via telomere/oxidative stress pathway
- PromotesBoosts immune function
Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, folic acid, and the trace elements iron, zinc, copper, and selenium synergistically support the protective activities of the immune cells; Vitamin D is important for immune response because it stimulates phagocytosis by macrophages and protects immune cells against apoptosis.
- PromotesActivates Nrf2
1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D exerts an antiaging role by activation of Nrf2-antioxidant signaling and inactivation of p16/p53-senescence signaling.
- PromotesImproves Gut Microbiota
Vitamin D increases the overall diversity of gut microbiome; active vitamin D is critical in maintaining increased levels of Bacteroidetes thereby promoting health
Recipes with Vitamin D
Recipes featuring foods that contain Vitamin D.
- Broccoli and Quinoa Slaw with Wild Salmon and Hemp Pesto
- Forbidden Rice and Salmon Poke Bowl
- Salmon with Fennel and Citrus Salad
- Tomato and Sardine Crisps
- Summer Tomato Salad with Smoked Mackerel
- Kimchi, Egg, and Avocado Bowl
- Roasted Red Pepper and Zucchini Frittata
- Soft Herb and Mushroom Omelet
- Tex-Mex Breakfast Bake
- Sweet Potato and Egg Stacks
- Tempeh Sausage with Eggs and Roasted Tomatoes
- Savory Breakfast Salad
- Egg Snack Pots, Three Ways
- Coconut Cobb Salad
- Asparagus Vinaigrette
- Spaghetti with Mushroom Bolognese
- Barley Risotto with Artichokes and Mushrooms
- Mushroom Stroganoff
Sources
- How Not to Age
- Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
- The Longevity Diet
- The Young Forever Cookbook
- Outlive
- Young Forever