Association between dietary vitamin C and telomere length: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Currently, telomere length is known to reflect the replication potential and longevity of cells, and many studies have reported that telomere length is associated with age-related diseases and biological aging. Studies have also shown that vitamin C acts as an oxidant and free radical scavenger to protect cells from oxidative stress and telomere wear, thus achieving anti-aging effects. At present, there are few and incomplete studies on the relationship between vitamin C and telomere length, so this study aims to explore the relationship between vitamin C and telomere length. Method This study used cross-sectional data from the NHANES database from 1999 to 2002 and included 4122 participants aged 45 years and older. The correlation between vitamin C and telomere length was assessed using a multiple linear regression model, and the effect of dietary vitamin C on telomere length was obtained after adjusting for confounding factors such as age, gender, race, BMI, and PIR. Result This cross-sectional study showed that vitamin C was positively correlated with telomere length, with greater dietary vitamin C intake associated with longer telomeres (β : 0.04 95%Cl: 0.01-0.06 P: 0.002). Conclusion The study suggests that there is a direct or indirect interaction between dietary vitamin C and telomere length, which may have certain clinical significance. Keywords Telomere length, vitamin C, interaction, cross-sectional studies