D Won’t Stand for Dementia

Two remarkable recent studies have established the case for vitamin D as a nutrient that fights dementia. The first looked at the association of levels of vitamin D with dementia; the second looked at supplementing vitamin D.

In a first of its kind study of vitamin D and brain health, researchers were able to look, not only at the association of vitamin D with brain health and dementia, but at the causal effect of increasing vitamin D. They found that low vitamin D is associated with increased risk of dementia. People with vitamin D levels of 25 nmol/L (deficient) had 54% higher odds of dementia compared to people with levels of 50 nmol/L (optimal). The remarkable practical implication of this study is that it shows that up to 17% of dementias could be prevented by increasing vitamin D to optimal levels of 50 nmol/L (Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2022;nqac107).

So, what if you raised your vitamin D levels by supplementing vitamin D? That’s exactly what the second study looked at.

This study included 12,388 people who did not have dementia at the start of the study. Their average age was 71. The ones who supplemented vitamin D lived significantly longer free of dementia. While 68.4% the control group lived 5 dementia free years, 83.6% of people who supplemented vitamin D did. Most impressively, people who took vitamin D were a significant 40% less likely to get dementia. In people with normal cognition the risk was reduced by 56%. But even in people with mild cognitive impairment, the risk was reduced by a significant 33% (Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring. March 2023;15(1):e12404).

These two studies suggest that low levels of vitamin D are associated with higher risk of dementia and that supplementing vitamin D may significantly decrease that risk.

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For much more on natural approaches to preventing and treating dementia and Alzheimer’s, see our book The Family Naturopathic Encyclopedia.

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