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A healthy dose of sunshine may be the secret to staying young, British scientists have revealed.
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A healthy dose of sunshine may be the secret to staying young, British scientists have revealed.
Vitamin D is produced naturally by the skin in response to sunlight and may help to slow the ageing process and protect against heart disease, according to the study.
Researchers from King's College London studied 2,160 women aged1 between 18 and 79, looking at their telomeres - a biological marker of ageing found in DNA2. As people get older their telomeres get shorter and they become more susceptible3 to certain illnesses.
But the study found women with high levels of vitamin D had comparatively longer telomeres - a sign of being biologically younger and healthier.
The study suggests vitamin D may help to slow down the ageing process of DNA, and therefore the ageing process as a whole.
Lead researcher Dr Brent Richards said: "These results are exciting because they demonstrate for the first time that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D.
"This could help to explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing related diseases, such as heart disease and cancer."
He said further studies are required to confirm the findings.
Professor Tim Spector, head of KCL's twin research unit, and a co-author of the report, added: "Although it might sound absurd, it's possible that the same sunshine which may increase our risk of skin cancer may also have a healthy effect on the general ageing process."
Vitamin D made by the action of sunlight on the skin accounts for 90 per cent of the body's supply, but lower levels can also be obtained through food such as fish, eggs and breakfast cereals.
Other studies have suggested the vitamin plays a key role in protecting against cancer and heart disease.
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英国科学家日前公布，长期坚持晒太阳可能是永葆青春的秘诀。
该研究称，皮肤受到阳光照射后而自然产生的维他命D有助于延缓衰老，预防心脏疾病。
由伦敦国王学院开展的该研究共有2160名女性参加，她们的年龄在18岁至79岁之间。研究人员们主要对研究对象的端粒（端粒是位于染色体末端的DNA微粒，与人的衰老有关）进行了探究。研究发现，随着年龄的增长，人的端粒日趋变短，人体对于某些疾病的抵抗力也不断下降。
但研究发现，体内维他命D含量较高的女性的端粒相对较长，这是人更加年轻与健康的一种生物学表现。
研究表明，维他命D有助于延缓DNA的衰老，从而延缓整个人体的衰老。
研究负责人布兰特•理查德兹说：“研究结果令人振奋。研究首次表明，体内维他命D含量较高的人比体内维他命D含量较低的人衰老得慢。”
“这也许可以解释维他命D是如何预防如心脏病和癌症等很多与衰老有关的疾病这一问题。”
布兰特称，研究结果需要经过进一步研究加以确认。
研究报告撰写人之一、伦敦国王学院双胞胎研究小组的蒂姆•斯派克特教授说：“尽管这听起来可能有些荒谬，但有一点完全有可能：晒太阳在增加患皮肤癌风险的同时，对于延缓整个衰老进程是有一定积极作用的。”
皮肤受到阳光照射后所产生的维他命D占体内总含量的90%，此外，摄入鱼类、蛋类及早餐麦片等食物也能为人体提供少量的维他命D。
另有研究表明，维他命对预防癌症和心脏病具有重要作用。
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