It's actually pretty simple--and astonishing. At the end of each chromosome is something called a telomere. It's the telomere's job to protect the chromosome from damage. The longer the telomere, the more protected the chromosome. Here's the intriguing part: When cells divide, the telomeres shorten. What if that shortening could be prevented? That could both protect new cells and reduce the effects of aging.
The study: Led by Dr. Honglei Chen, the researchers examined data from 586 women who are part of the ongoing Sisters Study, all of whom are cancer-free women with a sister who had breast cancer. As part of the study, the women were asked about their use of vitamin supplements over a 12-year span. Blood samples were taken and DNA was tested.
The results: Women who took a daily multivitamin had longer telomeres--5.1 percent longer than those who didn't take vitamins. Although it's not yet clear if the vitamins caused this, it is a significant difference, corresponding to about 9.8 years less age-related telomere shortening. Vitamins C and E found in food can also protect telomeres.
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Does this mean you should take a daily multivitamin? More research is still needed since there are definitely mixed messages about the value of taking vitamins. The study findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
