Genetic study links vitamin C intake to one epigenetic-age measure
The association centered on HannumAge and did not extend consistently across the other age measures or antioxidants examined.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Genetically predicted vitamin C intake was associated with lower HannumAge, an epigenetic-age measure. The association did not consistently extend to the other measures examined. This genetic analysis does not show that taking vitamin C changes disease risk or lifespan, and it does not provide a tested intake target for slowing aging.
The abstract does not specify the exposure units needed to interpret the reported association's size. Its outcomes were epigenetic-age measures, leaving clinical effects and changes in lifespan untested.
What was being compared
The analysis examined genetic predictions of dietary antioxidant intake in relation to epigenetic-age estimates. It used existing genetic datasets rather than assigning people to diets, so its result answers a different question from a supplementation trial.
The other results
Vitamin C was not significantly associated with IEAA or PhenoAge. Its GrimAge result was borderline in the main analysis and nonsignificant with other methods. Vitamin A, vitamin E and carotene showed no significant associations with the age measures.
The original publication
Causal effects of dietary antioxidants on epigenetic age: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study.
Huang C, Zeng G, Zhan K et al.
Medicine (Baltimore) · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41261720
- Record checked
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