In my last article, I cautioned readers about the potential for sun exposure to cause melanoma. In it, I also emphasized the importance of sun exposure due to the generation of vitamin D. There are so many negative health effects that can result from a deficiency of vitamin D, and today I will elaborate on another: vitamin D deficiency and dementia.
A vitamin D deficiency is believed to affect over one billion people worldwide. It is described as a pandemic by Michael Holick, PhD, M.D., an expert on from Boston University Medical Center.
There appear to be several ways in which a vitamin D deficiency can affect memory. Vitamin D is known to promote the growth, and maturation of neurons, or nerve cells. It also helps to maintain the health of blood vessels. It also has an effect in tamping down inflammation. These are three things that can promote the degradation of cognitive function.
Scientists at the University of South Australia began a study to determine if there was a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and cognitive decline. The results of this study were published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in April. The researchers used data from British volunteers in the U.K. Biobank. The U.K. Biobank is a large scale biomedical database which includes brain imaging data. The 294.514 participants selected for the study had vitamin D levels below 10 ng/ml. This would be considered an extremely low vitamin D level considering that the recommended level for optimal health is between 60 and 80 ng/ml.
The purpose of the study was to determine how extremely low levels of vitamin D affected the risk of dementia. The researchers also had access to 23,901 imaging studies on participants. The research team considered many variables in this study group including sun exposure, the use of sun protection, diet, supplement use, and physical activity.
The researchers found a direct link between dementia and a reduced vitamin D level, and a lack of sunlight. Further, they found that a low level of vitamin D correlated with a lower brain volume. The brain does tend to shrink with age, and this is related to the onset of dementia. The study demonstrated that 17% of dementia cases might have been totally avoided by increasing vitamin D levels to be within normal ranges.
HOW TO INCREASE VITAMIN D LEVELS
The method of increasing vitamin D doesn’t seem to matter. Certainly, increasing sun exposure can help. But remember the other key component in vitamin D generation is cholesterol. The magical conversion process occurs on the skin’s surface when the suns UV rays convert the essential substance cholesterol, through a series of processes, into the end product, which is vitamin D.
The researchers note that “…for anyone who for whatever reason may not receive enough vitamin D from the sun, modifications to diet may not be enough, and supplementation may well be needed.”
CONCLUSION
So, while we want to be careful about our level of sun exposure to limit our potential for mutating skin changes, we must balance that caution with allowing our bodies to create vitamin D. We must also recognize that having our vitamin D levels tested at least annually is critical for our overall health and wellness, and particularly for our cognitive health as well.
If you find that you are low in vitamin D, please consult your healthcare provider and make sure that you begin supplementing with a high quality vitamin D supplement. I always recommend that you also consider a vitamin D supplement that contains vitamin K2. This is important since the consumption of vitamin D causes increased absorption of calcium, and the vitamin K2 assures that the calcium is deposited in the bones rather than the vascular system.
If you need further guidance regarding vitamin D, or to have your vitamin D level tested please contact us at the Center for Nutrition and Wellness
phone: 215:679-WELL (9355)
email: [email protected]