Vitamin D Slows Cognitive Decline
After studying 2,000 adults over the age of 65, researchers from the University of Michigan and the Peninsula Medical School at the University of Cambridge concluded that there may be a link between vitamin D deficiency and cognitive impairment. Researchers found that compared to those with optimum levels of vitamin D, those with the lowest levels were more than twice as likely to be cognitively impaired.
This study, which appeared in the Journal of Geriatric Psychology and Neurology, is the first large-scale study to identify a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and cognitive impairment in the older adults. The researchers concluded that vitamin D supplementation could potentially be a means of reducing the risk of age-related cognitive decline and dementia.
The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: If you want to stay sharp as you age, make sure you are getting enough vitamin D. Being deficient in vitamin D has also been linked to depression, muscle weakness, osteoporosis, certain cancers, lowered immunity and cardiovascular disease.
