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Who Needs Vitamin D and Why?

A Chinese study show cognitive decline is worse in those with too little vitamin D, so anyone who wants to stay sharp needs vitamin D.

As people grow older, their ability to absorb nutrients may drop. In addition, many elderly people don’t spend much time out in the sunshine. Even if they do, their skin may not make vitamin D efficiently. So who needs vitamin D?

Vitamin D Appears to Protect Brain Function:

Chinese elders with low levels of vitamin D are more susceptible to mental decline than their peers with adequate levels of this nutrient. This was the conclusion from the Chinese Longitudinal Health Longevity Survey of more than 1,200 senior citizens.

People who had low levels of vitamin D at the start of the study were twice as likely to have a significant drop in their cognitive test results. This suggests that anyone who needs vitamin D might want to consider how to bring their blood levels up.

Will Supplements Help?

This sort of epidemiological data cannot prove cause and effect and it remains unclear whether taking vitamin D supplements would prevent cognitive decline. Nevertheless, it makes sense to monitor vitamin D levels and try to maintain them within normal limits.

Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Medical Sciences, July 12, 2016 

You can learn more about vitamin D from our Guide to Vitamin D Deficiency. For more information on maintaining mental function as we age, you might wish to listen to our interview with Dale Bredesen, MD, PhD, about how to reverse dementia.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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