foodconsumer.org: High vitamin D linked to better cognitive function in old people

High vitamin D linked to better cognitive function in old people
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admin on 05/27/2009 11:51:00
 
Wednesday May 27, 2009 (foodconsumer.org) -- The news is bright for the sunshine
vitamin. A British study out of Manchester indicates that older people who have
higher levels of vitamin D in their bloodstream have greater cognitive and
social abilities as they grow older, compared to those who have lower levels of
the vitamin.
Vitamin D is manufactured by the body after the skin has been exposed to the
sun. Physically, it helps the bones absorb calcium; hence, most calcium
supplements are a combination of the mineral and vitamin D.
The results of the current study are being published by the Journal of
Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. Three thousand European men were tested
cognitively and socially; the lower the levels of vitamin D, the poorer the
participants fared on the tests.
While this is the first definitive study linking mental acumen in old age to
vitamin D, a study published in the Journal of Gerontology in 2007 showed a
strong link between vitamin D levels and physical performance in older people.
Nine hundred subjects were given blood tests to check their vitamin D levels.
Then each participant was checked to see how fast they could walk, how easily
they could get out of a chair, and how well they could maintain balance. Hands
down, those who had higher levels of vitamin D physically outperformed those
with lower levels.
Clearly, the physical and mental benefits of vitamin D bode well for seniors.
More good news: while spending time in the sun is one way to enable the body to
produce vitamin D, supplementation is just as effective for those who are unable
to get outside much, or those who are at a greater risk for skin cancer.
(By Rachel Stockton, and edited by Heather Kelley)