Vitamin D decreases ‘senior moments’
The next time the sun comes out, think about soaking it in. For, it just might help you keep your thinking cap on for longer. Never mind the tan, time spent under the sun helps the body synthesis vitamin D, which, says a new study, keeps the mind more active, even into the sunset years.
Under the study, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, University of Manchester researchers tested the cognitive and social abilities of 3,133 European men aged between 40 and 79 years and found that the higher the levels of vitamin D in their bodies, the better were their scores.
Besides the sun, vitamin D can be obtained from oily fishes such as salmon, egg and milk and milk products such as cheese, butter, yogurt, etc.This is the first study that shows a strong link between vitamin D and mental capabilities. Dr David Lee, the study’s lead author, said, “Previous studies exploring the relationship between vitamin D and cognitive performance in adults have produced inconsistent findings but we observed a significant, independent association between a slower information processing speed and lower levels of vitamin D.”
The study was conducted in eight regions – Italy, Belgium, Poland, Sweden, England, Spain, Hungary, and Estonia. The subjects were given three tests to gauge their ability to scan and commit to memory visual information and the speed at which they processed it.
After adjusting for factors such as education, alcohol and tobacco consumption, physical activity, depression etc, the researchers found that the subjects in their 60s and 70s with low vitamin D levels were the most likely to perform badly in the tests. This shows that the vitamin might have the ability to lower the chances of age-related dementia.
In a statement, Dr Susanne Sorensen, the head of research at UK charity Alzheimer’s Society, said research into this link is vital as one in three people over 65 will die with dementia. Vitamin D also prevents osteoporosis and studies have found its deficiency to be linked to cancers, tuberculosis, dental problems and multiple sclerosis, among many others.
By » Mike on 2009-05-29 17:44:12