Vitamin D associated with brain power

Cognitive impairment and vitamin D deficiency may be common in older adults, and the two factors can be linked, suggests new research.

In a new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center researchers reported that a four-year analysis of about 3,000 healthy adults — aged 70 to 79 — found that those with low levels of vitamin D were more likely to develop cognitive problems, such as memory loss and impaired thinking, Newsmax Health reported.

"This study provides increasing evidence that suggests there is an association between low vitamin D levels and cognitive decline over time," said lead researcher Valerie Wilson, M.D., assistant professor of geriatrics at Wake Forest Baptist. "Although this study cannot establish a direct cause and effect relationship, it would have a huge public health implication if vitamin D supplementation could be shown to improve cognitive performance over time because deficiency is so common in the population."

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