Low vitamin D levels could be bad for your brain, especially as you age.
Who Participated in the Study:
Researchers tracked cognitive function and memory in 318 older adults over a time frame of about five years. Their average age was 75, and roughly half had some degree of cognitive impairment at the start of the study. They were from a variety of ethnic groups.
The Impact of Low Vitamin D:
The scientists also measured blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, a measure of vitamin D status in the body. Roughly 25 percent of the subjects in the study were deficient in vitamin D, meaning that their levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were below 12 ng/mL.
More than half of the volunteers had low vitamin D levels. The lower the levels of vitamin D, the greater the decline in both memory and cognitive function over the five-year assessment period.
The Take-Home Message:
The authors conclude that low vitamin D levels may correspond to an elevated risk for dementia. Since so many seniors stay out of the sun and have low vitamin D levels, this is a significant concern.
What is unknown, however, is whether taking vitamin D supplements could prevent or slow mental decline. Anyone who decides to try supplements should be sure to take vitamin D3 along with a meal that contains a certain amount of fat. (We have written about that here.)
