A
healthy dose of sunshine may be the secret to staying young, British scientists
have disclosed.
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 aged between 18 and 79, looking
at their telomeres - a biological marker of ageing found in DNA.As people get older, their
telomeres get shorter and they are easy to have 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 prove 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(荒謬的),
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.
1.What’s
the best title of this passage?
A.Sunshine helps to keep you young.
B.Vitamin D has a protective effect on many diseases.
C.Telomeres - a biological marker of ageing.
D.People have found the secret to having a long life.
2.How can people get Vitamin D?
A.through
water. B. through sunshine.
C.through
food. D.both B and C.
3.Which of the following is not
true according to the passage?
A.women with high levels of vitamin D shows a sign of being biologically
younger and healthier.
B.vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing related
diseases.
C.too much sunshine may increase our risk of skin cancer.
D.It has been proved that sunshine helps to keep you young.