Vitamin D and the Brain

Does vitamin D protect the aging brain? Researchers from both France and the U.S. presented data suggesting that there may be a link between vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of cognitive decline. One study tested 150 Americans with an average age of 85. They were given tests of mental function and their blood was analyzed for its level of vitamin D. People with lower blood levels of vitamin D were more likely to score low on the cognitive tests.
A different study of 129 elderly French women found that those who were deficient in vitamin D were about twice as likely to fail the cognitive test and be classified with cognitive impairment. Vitamin D continues to capture headlines for its crucial role in a wide range of biological systems, including bones, cancer, muscles, blood vessels and possibly the brain.
[American Academy of Neurology annual meeting, Toronto, April, 2010]