The importance of keeping up daily vitamin D levels is already well known, but a recent meta-analysis has now indicated that it might be a factor in reducing your chances of certain mental conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
The results of the meta-analysis were published in the Nutrition Journal. They indicated that people whose vitamin D levels are consistently deficient have an increased instance of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. These conditions are exceptionally common and, despite vast efforts to understand, treat, and cure them, we still have a long way to go. For that reason, prevention strategies are also being greatly prioritized.
This meta-analysis took 298 different studies into account, all involving vitamin D and dementia or vitamin D and Alzheimer’s disease. A comparison was made between people whose vitamin D levels were considered to be deficient, and people who had levels that were greater than 20 ng/ml (50 nmol/L). Animal experiments, mechanistic research studies, and reviews were not included in this meta-analysis.
There were five studies that ideally suited the criteria for inclusion, two of which were prospective cohorts, while the remaining three were cross-sectional. They had all been published more recently than 2010.
The researchers found that people whose vitamin D levels were deficient had a 21 percent higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than those whose levels were normal or higher. Moreover, those who were deficient in vitamin D had a 63 percent higher risk of the development of dementia compared to those whose levels were adequate.
The researchers recommended that the improvement of vitamin D levels be used as a part of an Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia prevention strategy.
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