Older adults who have low levels of Vitamin D could be at greater risk of mental decline and various types of dementia including Alzheimer's disease, based on a new study. The vitamin, which is found in foods such as milk, egg yolks, and fish seems to enter all of the body's cells and prevent the development of Alzheimer's markers in the brain, including tangles (proteins) and plaques (bacteria).
The study was conducted by Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences in New Jersey. It was published this week in the journal JAMA Neurology.
Researchers tracked over 380 people with an average age a little over 75 years old. Participants included men and women, with half being white and half being black or Latino, according to Nature World Report.
Joshua Miller was the lead author. He explained that it is likely that most United States adults over 75 years old are Vitamin D-deficient.
The study did not show that taking Vitamin D supplements would certainly slow down mental decline. However, it could improve a person's overall health.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends that adults take 600 to 800 International Units (IU) of Vitamin D daily. It is found in foods such as milk, yogurt, cereals, egg yolks, fish, liver, and orange juice.
Miller's team defined four blood levels of Vitamin D. They were: deficient, insufficient, adequate, and high.
The researchers discovered that most of the volunteers had Vitamin D blood levels that were low. About one-fourth were "deficient," and 35 percent were "insufficient," according to CBS News.
Study participants with dementia had lower Vitamin D levels. That was compared with those with mild mental decline or normal cognitive health.
In the study's follow-up, Vitamin D levels that were "deficient" or "insufficient" had higher rates of mental decline. That included tasks such as thinking, memory, and problem-solving.
This video lists some of the top benefits of Vitamin D: