The University of Exeter and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the University of Calgary in Canada claim that taking the recommended daily dose of vitamin D may help prevent dementia. Vitamin D may prove to be a crucial factor in maintaining one’s intellect and memory. It is perhaps best known for its advantages connected to phosphorus and calcium intake and immunological regulation.
Vitamin D supplementation can lower the cognitive decline rate
The authors of the Study examined the association between vitamin D supplementation and dementia in approximately 12,388 participants in the US National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center. These individuals were 71 on average, and at the time of their initial inclusion, none of them had dementia. Around 37% (4,637) of the participants in the Study admitted to taking vitamin D pills.
In the end, the team of researchers discovered a correlation between taking vitamin D supplements and having an extended period of living without dementia. The group who took the supplements had 40% fewer diagnoses of dementia compared to the others. Over ten years, a total of 2,696 participants were analyzed, and among them, 2,017 (75%) had no contact with vitamin D before being diagnosed with dementia, while the remaining 679 (25%) had been exposed to it at baseline.
Vitamin D’s effects on the brain could help prevent dementia.
Lead researcher Professor Zahinoor Ismail said they know that vitamin D effects on the brain may be instrumental in preventing dementia. Still, so far, studies have produced mixed results. Nevertheless, these findings provide important new information about populations that could be targeted for vitamin D supplements. Overall, researchers discovered indications that earlier supplementation—before the start of cognitive decline—might be particularly advantageous.
Vitamin D was effective in all groups, with researchers showing that the impact was higher in women. Additionally, the impact was greater in individuals with normal cognition than in those with mild cognitive decline. Finally, the benefit is greater in individuals without the APOEe4 gene, which increases Alzheimer’s risk.
