Taking vitamin D supplements may help prevent dementia, especially in women, suggests a large study conducted by British and Canadian scientists.
Scientists analyzed a group of 12,388 people at the U.S. National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center, of whom 37 percent were taking supplements. All participants had a mean age of 71 years and did not suffer from dementia at the time of admission to the center.
In the entire sample, 2696 people were diagnosed with dementia over a 10-year period. Of this group, approximately 2,017 people (75 percent) did not take vitamin D supplements, and 679 people (25 percent) took some supplements at all visits prior to being diagnosed with dementia.
The research team from the Universities of Calgary and Exeter not only found that those who took the supplement were more likely to live longer in good health, they also found a 40 percent reduction in dementia diagnoses in the supplement group. A study published in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia: diagnosis, evaluation and monitoring of the diseasefound evidence that the sooner supplements are taken, the better.
Although vitamin D was effective in all groups, the team found that the effect was significantly greater in women than in men. Similarly, the effect was stronger in people with normal cognition than in those who reported signs of mild cognitive impairment — changes in cognitive function that have been associated with a higher risk of dementia.
The effect of vitamin D was also significantly greater in people who were not carriers of the APOEe4 gene, which is known to be associated with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to non-carriers.
The authors hypothesize that people carrying the APOEe4 gene are better able to absorb vitamin D from the gut, which may reduce the effect of vitamin D supplementation. However, blood tests were not performed to test this hypothesis.
Previous research has shown that low vitamin D levels are associated with a higher risk of dementia. Vitamin D is involved in the elimination of amyloid in the brain, the accumulation of which is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.
Research has also shown that vitamin D may help protect the brain from the buildup of tau, another protein involved in dementia.
Professor Zahinor Ismail of the University of Calgary and the University of Exeter, who led the study, said: “We know that vitamin D has some effect on the brain that may be relevant for reducing dementia, but so far, research has come to conflicting conclusions. Results.” Results.
“Our results provide important information about groups that may be specifically targeted for vitamin D supplementation. Overall, we found evidence that supplementing earlier may be especially beneficial before cognitive decline sets in.
co-author Dr. Byron Kreese of the University of Exeter said: “Preventing or even delaying dementia is critical as the number of people affected grows.
“The association with vitamin D in this study suggests that vitamin D supplementation may be beneficial in preventing or slowing dementia, but we now need clinical trials to confirm if this is indeed the case.”
Dr Kreese said the ongoing study at the University of Exeter is looking further into the matter by randomly giving participants either vitamin D or a placebo, and examining changes in memory and thinking tests over time.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.