Find out more in the full version ➞
A new large-scale study has shown that early dementia can be prevented by taking vitamin D supplements.High tech».
Previous research has shown that low levels of vitamin D, which is essentially a steroid hormone, are associated with a higher risk of dementia. The hormone helps remove amyloid from the brain. As you know, its accumulation is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, vitamin D prevents the accumulation of the tau protein, which also plays a role in the development of dementia.
Researchers studied the association between dementia and vitamin D supplements in nearly 12,400 people, with an average age of 71 years. They did not have dementia at the start of the study. In this group, 4,637 people took vitamin D supplements.
Of the 2,696 participants who developed dementia in the next decade, 75% did not take vitamin D supplements prior to diagnosis. The researchers also recorded 40% fewer dementia diagnoses among the 4,637 participants who took vitamin D supplements compared with the cohort that did not.