As people grow older, their ability to absorb nutrients may drop. In addition, many elderly people don’t spend much time out in the sunshine. Even if they do, their skin may not make vitamin D efficiently. So who needs vitamin D?
Vitamin D Appears to Protect Brain Function:
Chinese elders with low levels of vitamin D are more susceptible to mental decline than their peers with adequate levels of this nutrient. This was the conclusion from the Chinese Longitudinal Health Longevity Survey of more than 1,200 senior citizens.
People who had low levels of vitamin D at the start of the study were twice as likely to have a significant drop in their cognitive test results. This suggests that anyone who needs vitamin D might want to consider how to bring their blood levels up.
Will Supplements Help?
This sort of epidemiological data cannot prove cause and effect and it remains unclear whether taking vitamin D supplements would prevent cognitive decline. Nevertheless, it makes sense to monitor vitamin D levels and try to maintain them within normal limits.
Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Medical Sciences, July 12, 2016
You can learn more about vitamin D from our Guide to Vitamin D Deficiency. For more information on maintaining mental function as we age, you might wish to listen to our interview with Dale Bredesen, MD, PhD, about how to reverse dementia.
