Vitamin D Levels Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease

A deficiency of Vitamin D has been shown by a number of studies contribute to cognitive decline.  Cedric Annweiler, from the University of Angers (France), and colleagues analyzed data collected on 498 women, average age 79.8 years, who did not take Vitamin D supplements. Dietary intake of the vitamin was assessed using food surveys, and the women were followed for seven years. The team found that those women with lower vitamin D dietary intake (50 micrograms per week) at the studies start were at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease, as compared to women with higher vitamin D dietary intake (59 micrograms per week). Additionally, the highest average intakes of vitamin D were associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s, as compared to lower intakes. Suggesting that vitamin D has been linked to protection of the hippocampal region of the brain, or that the vitamin influences clearance of beta-amyloid proteins, the study authors conclude that: “Higher vitamin D dietary intake was associated with a lower risk of developing [Alzheimer’s Disease] among older women.”