A new study, published in Neurology last week, has linked vitamin D to brain health.
The study was actually a comprehensive review of 37 previous studies that all examined vitamin D levels and cognition in primarily older patients (most were 65 years or older).
The results of the review showed a positive link between vitamin D concentration in patients and their level of cognitive ability. In addition, patients with Alzheimer’s disease had lower vitamin D concentrations than those without the disease.
This further strengthens the importance of vitamin D and also highlights the fact that many people aren’t getting enough of it. Humans gain vitamin D from exposure to the sun, but many do not get enough – especially Minnesotans who spend long winters indoors. You may want to consider taking vitamin D supplements, to counter balance this.
“Vitamin D is clearly good for bones – we have known this for a while,” says Minneapolis Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Lance Silverman. “Now we know vitamin D is good for your brain as well. It is eye-opening to understand how important vitamin D is to overall health. This explains why fractures in elderly patients have been increasing as we’ve been less exposed to the sun and also shows why Alzheimer’s disease is more common.”
Related Sources:
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