Vitamin D –known as the sunshine vitamin– is obtained when the body is exposed to solar radiation and is necessary for maintaining healthy teeth and bones and for good blood coagulation, among other things. Now a study from the University of South Australia (Australia) has found that there is also a link between this micronutrient and dementia.
Apparently, and according to the researchers in the study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who have low levels of vitamin D have smaller brain volumes and a greater probability of developing dementia and suffering a stroke, as a stroke
Dementia is one of the main causes of disability and dependency in the elderly, since among other problems it causes mental and behavioral alterations. According to this study, this highly prevalent disorder in the world could be curbed by increasing vitamin D, for example, through supplementation.
Supplements may be an option to avoid dementia
The research has analyzed the data of 294,514 people belonging to the UK Biobank and has studied the effects of having low levels of vitamin D (25 nmol/l) with respect to the risk of dementia and cerebrovascular accidents. The tests were performed using nonlinear Mendelian randomization, a method in which measured variation in genes is used to learn the causal impact of a modifiable exposure on disease.
According to the study, up to 17% of dementia cases could be avoided if measures are taken to maintain vitamin D levels within normal ranges
An important fact that the researchers have released is that it was observed that 17% of the cases of dementia that the participants presented could have been avoided if they had taken measures to increase their vitamin D levels to normal levels.
“If we are able to change this reality by making sure that none of us have a serious vitamin D deficiency, it would also have more benefits and we could change the health and well-being of thousands. Most of us are probably fine, but for anyone who, for whatever reason, doesn’t get enough vitamin D from the sun, dietary modifications may not be enough and supplementation may be needed,” explains Elina Hyppönen, main author of the study.
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