Scientists from the University of South Australia found a direct link between dementia and a lack of vitamin D.
The research is published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and was conducted by Elina Hyppönen et al.
Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide, affecting thinking and behaviors as you age.
Globally, more than 55 million people have dementia with 10 million new cases diagnosed every year.
But what if you could stop this degenerative disease in its tracks?
In the study, the team examined the association between vitamin D, neuroimaging features, and the risk of dementia and stroke.
They analyzed data from 294,514 participants from the U.K. Biobank.
They found that low levels of vitamin D were linked to lower brain volumes and an increased risk of dementia and stroke.
Genetic analyses supported a causal effect of vitamin D deficiency and dementia.
In some populations, as much as 17% of dementia cases might be prevented by increasing everyone to normal levels of vitamin D (50 nmol/L).
The findings are important for the prevention of dementia and appreciating the need to abolish vitamin D deficiency.
They are incredibly significant given the high prevalence of dementia around the world.
The team says dementia is a progressive and debilitating disease that can devastate individuals and families alike.
If people are able to change this reality by ensuring that none of us is severely vitamin D deficient, it would also have further benefits and we could change the health and well-being of thousands.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about six vitamins that help stop complications in diabetes, and vitamin D may benefit men with advanced cancer.
For more information about dementia, please see recent studies that cataract removal may reduce the dementia risk by 30%, and results showing this metal may reduce risk of dementia.
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