Vitamin D, or the “sunshine vitamin,” is essential for your bones and immune system, but numerous studies suggest it can also boost brain health.
Researchers reached this conclusion by investigating the negative effects of vitamin D deficiency.
A first-of-its-kind study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that low vitamin D levels are associated with decreased brain volume.
A University of South Australia-led study of more than 295,000 genetic profiles from UK Biobank also suggests that correcting vitamin D deficiency could prevent 17 per cent of dementia cases. .
Research shows that people with low vitamin D levels perform poorly on memory tests
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Studies have shown that people with low vitamin D levels perform poorly on memory tests.
Increasing your intake of sunlight vitamins has also been shown to improve memory function.
In a study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, researchers looked at vitamin D in brain tissue.
They found that higher levels of the vitamin were associated with better cognitive function, meaning stronger memory and slower progression of cognitive decline.
According to the authors, this study marks the first time that vitamin D levels in brain tissue have been studied.
What explains this effect?
“This vitamin has been shown to have neuroprotective properties and is involved in the regulation of genes important for brain function,” explains nutritionist Rob Hobson.
Vitamin D also helps reduce inflammation, which is involved in the development of chronic diseases, including decreased brain function, nutritionists note.
He cites research published in the journal Neurology showing that chronic inflammation can affect brain health and lead to cognitive decline.
Vitamin D helps reduce inflammation that is involved in the development of chronic diseases.
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Should I take vitamin D supplements?
Our bodies get most of the vitamin D we need from sunlight, but in the UK we don’t get enough sunlight for most of the year, so the UK government recommends taking daily supplements from October to March. We recommend that you do so.
It is recommended that people with dark skin and people over 50 who spend a lot of time indoors take supplements year-round.
Unfortunately, unlike most other vitamins, we can’t get the vitamin D we need through our diets because there are few food sources.
These include oily fish and liver, but eggs and butter are also important, but not at the top of most Brits’ weekly meals.
This is why Public Health England (PHE) recommends that everyone takes 10 micrograms (400 IU) of vitamin D per day.
“When choosing a supplement, choose one that contains a form known as vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), which is much better at maintaining blood vitamin D levels than the vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) form.” “Because it’s effective,” Hobson advised.
