Elderly people may benefit from a diet rich in the sunshine vitamin, D, researchers said last night.
A new study, conducted in the UK, found that low levels of vitamin were linked to a doubled risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Vitamin D is mostly generated through exposure to sunshine – but it is also found in the diet in milk, eggs, cheese and oily fish such as salmon and tuna.
The researchers say their findings have taken account of other possible factors such as alcohol and education. One possibility is that low levels of vitamin D reflect a lack of outdoor exercise.
The research at Exeter University Medical School, Devon, involved some 1,658 people over the age of 65 over a period of six years and was reported in the journal Neurology.
Researcher Dr David Llewellyn said: “Clinical trials are now needed to establish whether eating foods such as oily fish or taking vitamin D supplements can delay or even prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
"We need to be cautious at this early stage and our latest results do not demonstrate that low vitamin D levels cause dementia.
"That said, our findings are very encouraging, and even if a small number of people could benefit, this would have enormous public health implications given the devastating and costly nature of dementia."
Neurology 6 August 2014
Leave a Reply