London(IANS) : Vitamin D obtained from exposure to a healthy dose of sunshine may help people stay young and protect them against heart disease, a study by British scientists has found.
Researchers from King’s College London studied the telomeres of 2,160 women aged between 18 and 79. Telomeres are biological markers of ageing found in Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) that contains genetic information.
As people get older, their telomeres get shorter and they become more susceptible to certain illnesses.
The scientists found that women with high levels of vitamin D had comparatively longer telomeres – a sign of being biologically younger and healthier, reported the online edition of the Daily Mail.
About 90 percent of the body’s supply of vitamin D can be obtained from sunshine. However, a small amount of the vitamin can also be obtained through food such as fish, eggs and breakfast cereals.